


Letter that you rip, rip  - Break me down and build me up

by rachelarcher



Series: RipTide [1]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable Bruce Banner, Artist Steve Rogers, Aunt Wanda Maximoff, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Avenger Sam Wilson, Awesome Natasha Romanov, BAMF Clint Barton, BAMF Natasha Romanov, BAMF Sharon Carter (Marvel), BAMF T'Challa (Marvel), BAMF Wanda Maximoff, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Bucky Barnes & Wanda Maximoff Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Ceiling Vent Clint Barton, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Needs a Hug, Deaf Clint Barton, F/F, F/M, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - Freeform, Helpful T'Challa (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, M/M, Matchmaker Wanda Maximoff, Minor Original Character(s), Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Oblivious Pietro Maximoff, Original Character(s), Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Prince T'Challa (Marvel), Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Clint Barton, Protective Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Sam Wilson is So Done, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Steve Rogers Feels, Sweet T'Challa (Marvel), T'Challa (Marvel) Is a Good Bro, Telepathic Wanda Maximoff, Thor (2011) - Freeform, Vision (Marvel) Feels, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Wanda Maximoff Helps Bucky Barnes Recover, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, sam wilson gets the girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-04-25 13:10:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 92,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14379339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelarcher/pseuds/rachelarcher
Summary: The wall at the Smithsonian was beautiful, but craftly wove lies made him grind his teeth togehter. He looked over the panels, the interactive one that housed Bucky's face on one side, and Will's on the otherBucky Barnes 1917-1944Sergeant; MarksmanSteve Rogers 1918-1944 *Redacted, Born 1918 -Captain AmericaWilhelmina M. Barnes 1924(?)-1944 *Redacted, Born 1927 -Doctor; ArcherNext to him, Will stood, her face a mask of uncaring, as she wove their fingers together, "We won't find peace, here, Stevie." She hummed to him, her fingers tracing over the 'redactions' and their implications. "I have Tony running scans of the mountain Buck fell off of, if he's there, we will find him." Steve looked side long at the strawberry blonde with victory curls next to him, somethings never changed, and her determination was one of them.





	1. Prelude : Corner Stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder, this is all me - any mistakes or errors. It's completely unbeta'd. With that said all charcters (except Will) belong to Marvel. (:

**PRELUDE**

**CORNERSTONE**

 

James Buchanan Barnes was born on March 10, 1917 and was the eldest child of four. In January of 1941, at 24 he was drafted into the United States Army to help fight World War II, his marching orders assigned him to the 107th Infantry Regiment, in January of 1943. Steve refused to see him off the morning he left, but Will was there with wide eyes and a twisted sad frown, “You take care of you.” She’d ordered him, with tears hanging off her eyelashes, she wasn’t the only sad faced dame on the wooden steps of the train depot. Bucky pressed a kiss to her lips and hugged her tight, “I’ll pass it on to Steve.” She promised, her voice breaking as a sob threatened to fall from her lips.

Steve Grant Rogers was born on July 4, 1918 and was the only child in his family. In 1936, Steve Rogers' mother, Sarah Rogers, died of tuberculosis and they buried her beside Rogers' father, Joseph Rogers. Although Steve wanted nothing more than to be a soldier, he was classified as 4F, multiple times, and rejected from service. On March 28 of 1943, Steve became the first super soldier - he was given Super-Serum, he was 21, almost 22 at the time. “Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone!” Bucky had practically begged that night at the expo, he and Will had agreed to go dancing and she'd brought a 'friend’ for Steve. “How can I, your taking all the stupid with you!” Steve had called after him.

Wilhelmina Ann Monroe was born on August 8, 1927 and was the only child in her family to survive infancy. In the sweltering summer of 1938 both her parents succumbed to tuberculosis, and were laid to rest in September, she found her way home - to Bucky and Steve’s tiny apartment in October of 1938, at twelve years old. By January 28 of 1943 she was 16 - but with Dr. Abraham Erskine’s help she was able to pass through military requirements as a 19 year old woman - Wilhelmina Barnes from Queens. “You could die.” Steve had argued, she'd only shrugged and said: “I'd be dead without you and Buck.”


	2. Chapter One : Impossible Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Start of our story. 
> 
> A little old, a little new.
> 
> Time to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder, this is all me - any mistakes or errors. It's completely unbeta'd. With that said all charcters (except Will) belong to Marvel. (:

**CHAPTER ONE**

**IMPOSSIBLE YEAR**

 

“Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?” Steve looked over the control panel, his eyes darted back to Will Monroe as she shivered in the pilot seat he had settled her in, the thick woolen blanket over her body, and both her legs bleeding - one above the knee, the other almost to her hip had been blown off when she jumped on a small plane, pulling the pilot out, he’d detonated a small bomb in the back of the Valkyrie. He prayed the radio would work, the machine was in so much German he didn’t know if he was going to be able to get it to work at all.

 

“Captain Rogers, what is your…”  Jim Morita, one of their team members, demanded. He felt a million miles away, even as Peggy jerked the radio from him. 

 

“Steve, is that you? Are you alright?” Peggy cried into the radio, wrapping around the mouth piece as she held it. “Do you have Dr. Monroe with you? We haven’t located Sergeant Barnes yet.” 

 

Relief surged through Steve’s veins as he looked back at Will, a tentative smile on her face, she looked wrong, unearthly pale and tired, she could hardly hold her head up. “Peggy! Schmidt’s dead! Will’s here with me.” The last statement sounded sad, “Sorry.” He took a deep breath, “I don’t think you can find Buck.” His voice broke, and tears started.

 

Peggy felt her heart breaking for her three best friends, “What about the plane?” If she focused on Will now, she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything.    
  


“That's a little bit tougher to explain.” Steve managed, through sniffles.

 

Peggy bit her bottom lip, “Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site.”

 

There was a long pause before Steve spoke again, Peggy could imagine Steve and Will talking about what to say to keep her from freaking out more than she had to. “There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down.”

 

“I'll get Howard on the line, he'll know what to do.” Her heart was pounding in her chest, her hands tight around the mouthpiece of the radio, the room around her watching with startled expressions. 

 

“There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York.” He exhaled sharply into the radio, “I gotta put her in the water.”

 

Peggy didn’t know in the next moment if she was begging for herself, for Steve, or Bucky, or for Will, “Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out.”

 

“Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice. This is mine and Will’s.” He finished, flashed his eyes back toward her, she nodded. He nudged the controls forced the planes nose down, “Peggy?”

 

“I'm here.” Peggy promised, now tears falling almost in waves.

 

Steve let a watery laugh burst out of his mouth, “I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance.”

 

“Alright. A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club. Make sure that hooligan Barnes is with you, and that doll, Will.” Peggy demanded, as tears plopped against her desk.

 

Steve wiped at his own eyes, “You got it.”

 

“Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?” Peggy ordered, her voice commanding even in her pain.

 

Steve let out a dry chuckle, “You know, I still don't know how to dance with you, I know how to dance with Buck.” 

 

“I'll show you how. Just be there.” Peggy promised.

 

“We'll have the band play somethin' slow. I'd hate to step on your…” The line broke with static, as the plane hit the ice, Steve rocked forward, his head hitting the control panel as he slid down, Will slipped from her seat, her shoulder hitting the radio panel as she dropped, water starting to seep into the hull of the plane. 

 

“Steve?” Peggy could hear the panic in her voice. “Will? Steve?” She felt her face breaking into tears, and her body starting to shake. “Steve? STEVE? Will?”

 

Peggy could hear the water as it sloshed, her heart sunk, wondering where in all the mess Will was. “Peggy?” Her voice sounded distant, so much so that Peggy thought she had imagined it at first, “I heard you come on!” Will sounded tired, winded, her teeth chattering as she spoke. 

 

“Will!” Peggy almost screamed into the radio, “Where are you?”

 

“I can’t…” She trailed off, “I can’t stand.” There is something fragile and distant in her voice, hard and lost, “My legs got blown off, I can barely move, the water is starting to come in now, and Steve’s…” She let out a long sigh, “Oh, god, Peggy.”

 

“Will, just… what do you see?” Peggy whispered, her voice softer than even Will’s.

 

“It’s dark, we are under…” She coughed, “Under water. Don't cry, it doesn't hurt, Peggy. I gotta tell you something, gotta cut through all the… noise.” She was drowsy, Peggy could read it in her voice, the last year of knowing the younger girl had taught her how to read Will. “I love you, you're my best dame.” It was such a toss back to something Bucky or Steve would have said, Peggy made a noise to talk, “No, let me…” She coughed, “Let me finish, water’s getting higher now. Buck, he already got off the train, Steve’s not long to meet him, and I can’t leave my boys waiting.” Her voice sounded chilled, and her breath wet.

 

“I love you too!” Peggy cried out, tears flowing down her face, “I have since you demanded to go with Steve, punk.” She murmured, her voice just as wrecked, “Will?”

 

“I’m…” Her voice was softer somehow, “I can’t make that date, neither can Steve, doll.” She coughed, this time the sound wrecked even Peggy, and she let out a sob. “I… I gotta go be with my boys now.” She muttered, “You make sure Dum Dum does what he promised, ok, honey?”

 

“Sweetheart, I love you.” Peggy whispered.

 

“I know, doll.” Will muttered, “Water’s to my chest now, I’ll see you, at the end of the line.” Then the radio crackled, fizzling out, and the sound of water rushing once more met Peggy Carter’s ears. 

 

-/- 

 

It was after the fact, when the Howling Commandos were sitting around a bar table, talking amongst themselves, missing Captain Steve Rogers, ‘Captain America’, Sergeant Barnes, and Doctor Monroe. It was there that Dum Dum pulled her away from the crowd, “Will made me promise that if she didn’t come back I’d take care of you, Agent Carter.” He whispered, “I’d like to uphold that promise.” Peggy felt a new wave of sorrow wash over her, even from the grave her beloved was looking over her.

 

The world around them was celebrating the defeat and downfall of Communism, of the threat that had almost destroyed their way of life, the threat that destroyed hers. “To the Captain!” Dum Dum shouted, the group through their heads back as they drank, “To the Sergeant!” Another shot, “To the best damn Doctor in the world.” Another round, and another.

 

Miles away Howard Stark was pacing, since the plane had dropped into the arctic, he hadn’t stopped looking - maybe it was his dedication to Peggy, but even she had to realize it had to do with his affection for the trio, that he’d called the Three Musketeers more than once. He was searching for the Valkyrie, instead he had found some small blue cue, “Sir?” An engineer caught his attention. 

 

“Take us to the next grid point.” Howard grumbled.

 

“But, sir, there is no trace of wreckage. And the energy signature stops here.” The engineer called back.

 

“Just keep looking, damint.” Howard snapped. 

 

-/-

 

Peggy could remember the first time she met them - with Steve Rogers it had been when he ended up in Stark’s program; Will Monroe, the over eager aost sixteen year old who lied about her birthday and followed him into the unfamiliar territory, as a doctor she was shipped overseas, to the 107 after their field medic had died, sometimes Peggy felt like they fed her straight to the beast; Bucky Barnes she met when Steve had liberated him from a prisoner of war camp, and to her surprise, Will had been with Barnes, the pair flanking Steve, and sounding chipper, their faces were bruised, and gaunt, and blood dripped from their ears - back then Peggy had wondered what exactly had happened to them. 

 

It was after the fact, long after she and Howard spearheaded the intelligence agency that would become SHIELD that she learned the truth about Schmidt’s prisoner of war camps, where she learned exactly what had happened to the strapping young man who carried a worn picture of Steve Roger’s in his chest pocket; where she learned exactly what had happened to a sixteen year old girl who was sent largely against her will into a battlefield she knew nothing about, her long blonde locks cut close in a boyish haircut, so different than when Peggy had first met her. She had learned, as the years went by, what HYDRA did to people like Bucky, people like her Will.

 

She learned that they’d been strapped down for hours on end, while Zola and his men injected them with something violently red in color, over and over again, then shined light brighter than the sun down on them, trying to replicate the Serum used to create Steve. She wished, on more than one occasion, that Bucky had died on the mountain he’d fallen from, even as she tucked the files away, keeping them altogether, away from Dum Dum who would no doubt want to go after his old comrade, as her memories began to fade, so did her conviction that she knew the truth. Eventually she forgot even the most important date of ehr life - the day that she’d met smart mouthed Will Monroe Barnes.

 

-/-

 

On a baren strip of snow covered land, where ice gave way to water that killed you like a silent black monster, they moved stealthy across the frozen wasteland. SHIELD, an organization created by Peggy Carter, had dispatched a team to meet the Stark Industry Recovery Team. “Are you the guys from Washington?” The team leader asked, shivering and blowing plumes of smoke out as he spoke. 

 

The SHIELD technician rolled his eyes, “You get many other visitors out here?”

 

Stark Team Leader just rolled his eyes, “Names Roman, welcome to our humble little home.”

 

SHIELD Lieutenant Jacobs rolled his eyes as he pushed around the technician, “How long have you been on site?” He swept his gaze around the white on white.

 

Roman sighed, “Since this morning. A Russian oil team called it in about eighteen hours ago.”

 

“How come nobody spotted it before?” Jacobs demanded, even as Under Director Phil Coulson appeared.

 

“It's really not that surprising. This landscape is changing all the time. You got any ideas what this thing is exactly?” Roman responded, not sure how the men thought the six of them were going to be able to get the ‘artifact’ out.

 

“I don't know. It's probably a weather balloon.” Jacobs declared, chanced a glance at Phil who nodded.

 

Roman didn’t look convinced, ‘I don't think so. You know we don't have the equipment for a job like this.”

 

“How long before we can start crying it out?” The technician asked, itching to work.

 

“I don't think you quite understand. You guys are gonna need one hell of a crane!” Roman muttered as they reached the top of the snow mountain, below a large metal ship - with red writing and a bright red symbol on its side. 

 

“Let’s get it open.” Phil declared, “Instead of moving it, hook what we brought up to it, to stabilize it.”

 

Inside shivering, the team of five moved quickly, until Roman skidded along the floor. “Umph.” He crashed into something that gleamed, a shield of sorts, next to it a purple colored fabric frozen. “Under Director, sir!”

 

“Lieutenant! What is it?” Phil demanded as he stepped closer, his eyes widened, as he stooped down to brush snow away from the shield, behind it, two faces, one a mans and the other a womans frozen tight together, “My God!” He jammed his finger into his earpiece, “Base, Give me Director Fury!”

 

A tired voice sounded back, “It’s three am, sir.”

 

Phil laughed, his whole body following the movement, “I don't care what time it is. This one's waited long enough. Both of them have!”


	3. Chapter Two : The End Of A Hundred Year Waltz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 166 Montague Street wasn’t much to talk about, before Will had joined them in ‘38 it had been cramped with just to two of them - both eighteen and barely making it, with the three of them and the weird looks they caught, well. There are two rooms, the entry room housed their kitchen, and washroom, a small bedroom made up the second room. The table was tiny, and shoved against the far wall by the window, across from the stove so there was light for Steve to draw, beside it the old radiator for heat, and a table with their radio next to the radiator. The couch took up most of the other side of the room, and a hanging closet of sorts had been made for Will’s three dresses, and her undergarments. The couch was her unofficial bed, on colder nights, or when her nightmares were bad, she crawled into bed with them. The bedroom had a mattress on the floor, and art supplies, a handful of other things they had picked up, and another window. The hanging closet that held both Bucky and Steve’s clothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder, this is all me - any mistakes or errors. It's completely unbeta'd. With that said all charcters (except Will) belong to Marvel. (:

**CHAPTER TWO: CAPTAIN AMERICA**

**THE FIRST AVENGER**

**I WRITE SINS NOT TRAGEDIES**

 

_Oh, well in fact_  
_Well I'll look at it this way_  
_I mean, technically, our marriage is saved_  
_Well this calls for a toast_  
_So pour the champagne, pour the champagne_

_I chime in with a_  
_Haven't you ever heard of closing a goddamn door?_  
_No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality_

_-PANIC! At The Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"_

 

Will Monroe woke up slowly, she blinked the world into existence, breathing deeply through her nose, as she attempted to get her bearings. She could make out Steve’s form not far from her, still fast asleep. Her vision on her left was a little off, but that wasn’t anything she was worried about, instead she focused on the room, it looked like one of their med-set ups in France, but it smelled off. There wasn’t the smell of morphine lingering in the air, or the sounds of amputations. “Stevie?” She croaked the word out, her voice raw, and distant even as she tried to. She focused on what she could hear. Belatedly she realized that both her legs were missing, her left one from the hip down and her right one from above her knee down. She pulled at the cotton gown on her frame and sighed, still hot and itchy.

 

A radio buzzing on a table, under the window, boomed loud around her, “Curveball, high and outside for ball one. So the Dodgers are tied, 4-4. And the crowd well knows that with one swing of his bat, this fellow's capable of making it a brand-new game again. Just an absolutely gorgeous day here at Ebbets Field. The Phillies have managed to tie up at 4-4. But the Dodgers have three men on. Pearson beaned Reiser in Philadelphia last month. Wouldn't the youngster like a hit here to return the favour? Pete leans in. Here's the pitch. Swung on. A line to the right. And it gets past Rizzo. Three runs will score. Reiser heads to third. Durocher's going to wave him in. Here comes the relay, but they won't get him.”

 

Steve was starting to move, he sat up bolt right, and screamed, “BUCKY!”

 

“Steve.” Will coughed, his eyes swiveled toward her, with tears.

 

Then he was on her, hugging her and smashing her body almost through the bed, “Are you ok?” He asked in a hurry, his heart racing. “Where is Bucky? If they found us, they found him, right?”

 

Before she could answer, the door opened and a woman neither had ever seen before walked in, a familiar army green dress on her shoulders, and her hair falling in blonde victory curls. “Good morning.” She checked her watch, “Or should I say, afternoon?” A smile played on her lips.

 

“Where are we?” Steve asked, body still croached protectively over Will, as she attempted to look around him and see the girl.

 

The woman gave him a tight lipped smile, “You're in a recovery room in New York city.”

 

The radio drew both Steve and Will’s attention, as the Dodgers Announcer shouted into the room, “The Dodgers take the lead, 8-4. Oh, Dodgers! Everyone is on their feet. What a game we have here today, folks. What a game indeed.”

 

Will muscled around Steve, eyes suspicious, “Where are we?”

 

The blonde looked confused, “I’m afraid I don’t understand?”

 

“The game, it's from May, nineteen forty one. I know, cause I was there.” He stood, “We were there, with Buck.” The name made his voice crack, but he held it together, “Now, I'm gonna ask you again. Where are we?”

 

“Captain Rogers…” The woman rubbed her had over her watch, hitting a silent alarm.

 

“Who are you?” Will demanded, as two men in tactical gear entered the room, Steve knocked them through the wall, which revealed some sort of set, he grabbed Will, tossed her over his shoulder.

 

“Hold on, Will.” Steve growled, as he took off in a run, he could feel Will wrap her arms around his waist, her chin digging into his spine, as she attempted to not throw up. Steve found it hard to hold her, her body unbalanced with her missing limbs, which he realized was more than likely still healing, they had only went into the ice a couple days ago, by his estimate.

 

The female shouted after them, “Captain Rogers! Doctor Monroe! Wait!” She hit her earpiece, “All agents, code 13! I repeat! All Agents, code 13!”

 

He broke through the door of the building and took off running, his bare feet hitting the floor, the cotton thread military issued sleep gear rubbing against his skin, as he broke through, sunlight washed over him, and the world around them was startlingly different. “What?”

 

“Steve!” Will growled, as he readjusted her, “Something’s wrong.”

 

Steve pushed it down and run, until he was standing in what he perceived to be Time Square, the calendar flashed March 2011, and he frowned hard, several SUVs encircled them, as a black man in leather with a cloak climbed out. “My name is Nick Fury, I am the Director of SHIELD.” He his hands up, “At ease, soldiers! Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but... we thought it best to break it to you slowly.”

 

“Break what?” Will and Steve demanded at once.

 

“You've been asleep, Cap, Doc. For almost seventy years.” The pair looked around the tall buildings, the constant noise that was assaulting their ears, “You gonna be okay?” Fury asked, carefully.

 

“Yeah. Yeah. I just…” Steve adjusted Will’s weight over his shoulder.

 

“We had a date.” Will finished, her voice sounding dull.

 

-/-

 

**Brooklyn, New York**

 

  * ****1941****



 

 

“Bucky!” A voice caught his attention, his megawatt smile turned sharp, from the woman he had been talking to, to see a blonde with wild eyes running at him, “Buck!” She almost slammed into him, the girl only coming to his chest, she looked up at him in a hopeless way, “Stevie got into a fight.” He shoved around her and took off running, the sound of her heels as they struck the cobblestones behind him as they darted back the way she came, “The next alley, Buck!”

 

He slid to a stop behind a pair of men, both of which were contently wailing on his best friend, he cut his eyes back to the girl and nodded. “Why don’t you pick on someone you're size, buddy!” As the first guy whirled, Bucky punched him square on the jaw, the second received a kick in the groin from the blonde blonde, as Bucky elbowed him in the mouth. “Dammit, Steve.” Bucky huffed.

 

“I had ‘uhm on the ropes!” Steve Rogers protested, as he looked at them both. “I shoulda’ known you'd of run off for ‘im, Will.” Steve pointed a finger at her, and scrunched up his face at Bucky. “I had it.” He grumbled.

 

“Happy birthday, Steve.” Will wound around him, and coiled up tight, to his side. “I wanted you alive when we saw the fireworks tonight at Coney Island.” She teased him good natured, just as Bucky placed an arm around both their shoulders, “How about we go home?” Will suggested, a wide smile on her face.

 

“That sounds like a plan, shame you got into a fight, Punk, I was about to talk Widow Harris into giving up some food.” Bucky joked, but kept a steady hand on both of his frail blondes as he pushed them back towards their tiny apartment.

 

166 Montague Street wasn’t much to talk about, before Will had joined them in ‘38 it had been cramped with just to two of them - both eighteen and barely making it, with the three of them and the weird looks they caught, well. There are two rooms, the entry room housed their kitchen, and washroom, a small bedroom made up the second room. The table was tiny, and shoved against the far wall by the window, across from the stove so there was light for Steve to draw, beside it the old radiator for heat, and a table with their radio next to the radiator. The couch took up most of the other side of the room, and a hanging closet of sorts had been made for Will’s three dresses, and her undergarments. The couch was her unofficial bed, on colder nights, or when her nightmares were bad, she crawled into bed with them. The bedroom had a mattress on the floor, and art supplies, a handful of other things they had picked up, and another window. The hanging closet that held both Bucky and Steve’s clothing.

 

“I baked a small cake.” Will whispered as they sidestepped an alley, and a group of sailors who were loudly whistling and catcalling, although it was a toss up for who they were ogling. “Not much, darling.” She smoothed his shirt down, reaching around Bucky’s broad chest to do so.

 

“Yeah, where’d ya get the dough?” Bucky asked her, pulling them tighter as they crossed the road.

 

“Traded some of my sewing for it, Jerk.” She winked up at him, and let him continue to lead them. “It’s Stevie’s birthday, Buck, he deserves the very best.”

 

-/-

 

With no one to object, fourteen year old Wilhelmina “Will” Monroe married James “Bucky” Barnes on the 5th of July, 1941. Bucky’s mother and Steve were the only witnesses, with Mrs. Barnes crying uncontrollably as she watched her son take a wife, a child bride. Steve, however, held his head up proud. He might not like the plan, but it kept them on the same path.

 

“Hey, you're a regular jive bomber!” Bucky laughed as they jitterbugged around the dance hall, Steve in a corner booth laughing, he couldn’t dance not much, he liked to dance at home or with Bucky, but never in public, and this was supposed to be a celebration.

 

Bucky’s younger sister Rebecca slid into the booth next to him. “Hey, kid.” She teased him. “You're full of moxie, you know.” She watched him track Bucky and Will. “She was a baby when you two took her in, the pair of you just babies yourself.” She sighed, “And now she’s James’ wife.”

 

“It’s a deal, that’s all.” Steve muttered, “Some times you get dealt shit you don’t want.”

 

“Dance with me?” Becca tried to change the subject, but was stopped by Bucky drawing her out of the booth. “OR I can dance with you?” It was a slower song, with a mournful love woven through it, as they moved around the wood dance floor, she watched Will and Stevie make their way to the floor, both slight and small  - one due to a life time of sickness and the other due to her age. “You broke his heart.”

 

“It was his idea.” Bucky muttered. “No one would have signed the marriage license for him to marry her, that was our other plan. So long as they stayed together.” Bucky huffed, “I’m a Chicken, sis, can’t have my best Dame and my Doll fall apart without me.” He whispered, as they neared the other dancing couple.

 

Will was graceful, her body fluid as she moved, easy for Steve to handle dancing with, she kept them swaying and kept Steve off her toes. It was a sight to behold. “I just hope you know what you're doing.” Becca whispered, before the song was over and she left them.

 

-/-

 

**Brooklyn, New York**

 

  * ****1943****



 

 

“You got you're orders than?” Will didn’t look all that surprised, “How soon?”

“In the morning.” Bucky looked down at his hands, “Where is Stevie?”

“Where do you think?” She muttered, not bothering to look up from the sewing she was working on. Bucky had seen her sew until her fingers bled, sometimes her money was the only income they had.

Bucky dropped down next to her, “You would have liked Wisconsin.” He lied, easily. “Bootcamp wasn’t bad, the winter sucked without you two.” He wrapped her in a hug. “I want to spend tonight with you and him.”

“I can ask Margo to go dancing with us.” A blush rose on her cheeks. “She’s a sweet girl, a little dead hopper, but you can dance with damn near anyone.” Bucky nodded at her, “He was trying for Jersey today.”

Bucky frowned, “So he’s probably at the theater by now?”

“I would assume so.” She kissed his cheek. “Check the alleyway.” She handed him a newspaper, he tucked it under his arm, before looking her over again, she just waved him away, already aware he was going to start going on and on about how she was much to skinny.

-/-

“Hey! Pick on someone your own size.” Bucky smiled fondly at the number of times he had said that to someone, anyone picking on Steve or even on Will, the girl was getting damn near beautiful these days, in an alarming sort of way, and he couldn’t believe how much she meant to both him and Steve, he hated that he was going to miss her sixteenth birthday. The man whirled on Bucky, who met him with a smile and a uppercut, “Sometimes, I think you like getting punched.”

“I had him on the ropes.” Steve spat on the ground. Bucky helped him up and grabbed his recent enlistment forms, or his attempted forms, off the ground.

“How many times is this?” Bucky asked his his eyes skimmed over the form, “Oh, you're from Paramus, now? You know it’s illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey?” Bucky scoffed.

Steve taking in Bucky’s outfit pulled a face, “You get you're orders?” The way his voice warbled made him cringe, they’d known it was coming, it was only a matter of time once Buck had been sent off to training over the winter, but selfishly he’d wanted more time.

“The one-o-seven.” For a moment Bucky looked irritated by it, then his face snaked up into a billion dollar grin, “Sergeant James Barnes. Shipping out for England first thing tomorrow.” He puffed his chest out a little bit.

“Does Will know?” Steve asked, as Bucky fussed over him, brushing dirt off of him.

“Told her already, yeah.” Bucky didn’t seem too thrilled with it.

Steve’s mood soured, “I should be going.”

“Come on, man. My last night! Gotta get you cleaned up.” Bucky tried to lighten the mood, he didn’t want to have the same argument again and again with Steve, but it was hard to make the Punk understand that him being home, relatively safe was probably the only thing keeping Bucky sane.

Steven chanced him a glance, “Why? Where are we going?"

Bucky held up the newspaper he had tucked away under his arm for safe keeping, it was the same one that Will had passed to him that morning with a soft smile on her features, and a knowing look. Steve opened it to see an add for the World Exposition of Tomorrow, 1943. He gave Bucky a curious look, the older man just winked at him and continued, “The future.”

“I should be fighting.” Steve grumbled.

“I don’t see what the problem is. You're about to be the last eligible man in New York.” Bucky wrapped an arm around his shoulders, “You know, there’s three and a half million women here.” He teased.

“Well, I’d settle for just one.” Steve eyed him ruefully.

“Good thing Will took care of that.” Bucky sighed, “Her friend Margo is willing to go with us.”

-/-

The expo was loud and bustling. Will had her hand in Buck’s and her arm looped through one of Steve’s her friend Margo giving her a rueful look, and not at all pleased with her date for the night, eventually Margo just took to talking to Bucky, which didn’t phase Will - everyone loved Bucky, and even though it irritated Steve there was nothing to be done about it. “Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and the World of Tomorrow. A greater world. A better world.” The annoncer waved them all closer, tucked in like sardines, Will was pretty much flush against Steve, both a step behind Bucky, who Margo was pressed against.

 

Margo let out a squeal of excitement, “Oh, my God!” She giggled, “It’s starting!”

 

On stage a woman smiled with too white teeth and a miniskirt, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!” The crowd around them erupted in cheers and whistles. On stage several women in pleated skirts, and tight tops - real knockouts stood smiling and poised.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” He addressed the crowd, looking every bit the dashing mad scientist he was, Will leaned closer to Steve and kissed his shoulder, “What if I told you that in just a few short years, you're automobile won’t even have to touch the ground at all!” He waved the girls around as they helped to take the wheels off the car. “Yes! Thanks, Mandy, ladies.” He winked at the women, then returned his attention to the crowd. “With Stark robotic reversion technology, you’ll be able to do just that.” He flipped a switch on the controls of his machine, and the car started to hover about three foot off the ground.

 

“Holy cow!” Bucky laughed, as Steve smiled, and Will tilted forward to watch more intently.

 

Steve offered his popcorn to Margo, who frowned and looked back toward the stage, Will nudged him and opened her mouth, Steve looked between her and the apparently offensive popcorn - who didn’t like popcorn? Before tossing some into Will’s open jaws, then Bucky’s because they were both watching with smirks.

 

The robots that had been assisting the car - the reversion technology, started to malfunction sending sparks flying and dropping the car unceremoniously hard onto the stage. “I did say a few years, didn’t I?” Howard joked, helping the crowd feel at ease once more. Steve broke away from Will, pausing only to give her a melancholy smile, before disappearing into the crowd.

 

“Steve?” Buck turned,  “Did you -” He looked at Will, “Where did he go?”

 

“That way.” She pointed toward a recruitment center. “Go on, I’ll walk Margo slowly.”

 

Bucky pushed through the crowd, without a second thought, “Hey, Steve, what do you say we treat these girls…” His voice trailed off as his eyes landed on Steve. He was standing in front of one of the trick mirrors, which would light up and reflect your face back to you, only instead of you're clothes it was a military suit, Steve wasn't tall enough to even reflect. “Come on. You're kind of missing the point of a double date. Were taking the girls dancing.” Bucky muttered as he reached Steve.

 

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up with you.” Steve looked over Bucky’s shoulder to see Will, her eyes sad and concerned, and Margo who looked like she wanted to eat Bucky where he stood.

 

Bucky frowned, harder than Will was - and Steve thought that was kind of amazing, since her face was close to tears and showing just how young she really was. “You're really gonna do this again?”

 

“Well,” Steve sighed, “It’s a fair. I’m gonna try my luck.” He puffed his chest out a little, and watched with slight amusement as Bucky glowered and Will pulled away from Margo to join them.

 

“What's happened?” She asked, slowly.

 

Bucky ignored her, “As who? Steve from Ohio? They’ll catch you. Or worse, they’ll actually take you!” He was stepping closer, even as Will was catching on. She gave them both sharp looks.

 

“Look, I know you don’t think I can do this.” Steve was gearing up for a fight.

 

“Boys, it’s Bucks last night home, please, can we please-” She was cut short by Bucky moving even closer.

 

“This isn’t a back alley, Stevie, it’s a war!” Bucky was as close to shouting as she’d ever heard him.

 

Steve didn’t even look phased, “I know it's a war. You don’t have to tell me.”

 

Buck made an exasperated noise, “Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many important jobs.” There was a plea in his voice, something begging and hopeful.

 

“What am I gonna do? Collect scrap metal…” Steve growled, his cheeks flaming up.

 

“Yes.” Bucky almost shouted.

 

“...In my little red wagon?” Steve glared at him.

 

“Why not?” Bucky wasn’t one to plead, but this… this was his Stevie, and he couldn’t seem to make him understand that the only way he could even think about going away in the morning, and he had definitely thought about evading the draft - he’d heard Canada was nice this time of year, but he couldn’t bring that kind of shame to his mother, and he had no clue how to explain Will to anyone, ever. Stevie and Will staying safe in Brooklyn would help him sleep at night.

 

“I’m not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky.” Steve asserted.

 

“I don’t…” Bucky couldn’t understand.

 

“Bucky,” Steve’s voice had gone softer, the fight knocked out of him, at seeing Bucky’s concern. “Come on! There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do anything less than them. That’s what you don’t understand. This isn’t about me.”

 

“Right.” Bucky muttered, “Cause you got nothing to prove.”

 

“Bucky.” This time he looked sharply at Will. “Take Margo dancing for the love of God, ok? She doesn’t know we are married, and I’ll stick here with Stevie.”

 

Bucky was a smart enough man to know when he had been beaten, and by a pair of fragil blondes too. “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” He order Steve, not sure if Steve meant to see him off in the morning.

 

“How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you.” Steve countered.

 

Bucky had started to walk away, but he turned to look at Steve, “You're a punk.” He walked back and drew him into a tight hug, pressing an impossible to see kiss to Steve’s cheek, “I love you.”

 

When they broke apart, Steve looked at him, “Jerk. Be careful.” He ordered, eyes swimming with tears. It wasn't until Bucky was back to Margo that he shouted, “Don’t win the war until I get there!”

 

Bucky gave him a salute, “Come on, Margo, they’re playing our song.” He offered her his arm.

 

-/-

 

“He’s afraid.” Will muttered, her face streaked with tears as she took Steve’s arm in hers, “That something is going to happen to you and he won’t be here to protect you.”

 

“That’s why you're here, though, right?” Steve held her tighter, “I can’t go see him off.”

 

“He knows.” She whispered, “As his wife, I can, I will. I’ll… I’ll kiss him for you.” She promised, as he moved to start filling out his paperwork. She looked back toward the expo, to see Stark talking about another invention, a frown pulling on her face. He took a seat next to her, as he waited for his name to be called, just resting his hand in hers, as she rested her head against his shoulder. “He’ll come home.” She promised after a long moment, “He can’t live without you, Stevie.”

 

Before Steve could answer his name was called.

 

She was there thirty minutes before a man, stood in front of her, “Are you Mrs. Wilhelmina Barnes?” He asked, as he studied her face. She sat up straighter in the chair.

 

“I am is something wrong?” She defended, her mind going over where she knew Bucky was headed with Margo, on the other side of town, and where she knew Steve was.

 

“No, I shouldn’t have worried you like that.” He smiled warmly at her. “I have some questions about your friend, Steve Rogers.” And just like that, she’d already failed her mission.

 

“If this is to arrest him for all his attempts and F4’s I can make a great case of him being mentally unstable.” She swore, quickly.

 

The man snorted with laughter, “Not quite. I have a proposal for him, but after that little display outside with your husband, the one-o-seven, right? The sergeant?” She nodded, “You seem to have the cooler head.”

 

-/-

 

Sitting in the examination room Steve was worried, this was already longer than he’d normally been in one, and he could hear whispers outside the door, the doctor who had been looking him over, received a single slip of paper, then looked up at Steve, “Wait here.”

 

Steve swallowed, “Is there a problem?”

 

“Just wait here.” With that the doctor slipped out the door. Steve glanced uncertainty around the room, his eyes landing on a sign warning against lying on enlistment forms, his mind caught on it as he started to pull on his clothes.

 

An officer with the Military Police walked into the room, Steve shot him a worried look, then Will slipped in behind him, a tired grin on her face, and behind her an older man, with wild hair. As the elder swept in, the MP slid out, giving them all three warning looks. “Thank you.” The older man offered as the MP moved away. “So,” He turned his attention to Steve, who Will had wrapped around tight, the pair both sitting on the examination table, huddled together. “You want to go overseas. Kill some Nazis.” His accent was thick, and it made Steve look over at Will, who shrugged.

 

“Excuse me?” Steve muttered, utterly confused.

 

“Dr. Abraham Erskine.” The man explained, “And as I explained most of this too Will, I represent the SSR - or Strategic Scientific Reserve.” He offered Steve his hand.

 

“Steve Rogers.” Steve grumbled, “And you’ve already met Mrs. Barnes.” He tilted his head at Will and watched as the doctor began flippin through Steve’s file. “Where are you from?”

 

“Queens. 73rd Street and Utopia Parkway. Before that, Germany. This troubles you?” He hadn't even looked up yet, when he did he gave them a reassuring smile.

 

Steve shook his head, “No.”

 

“Good, it didn’t bother Will either.” The doctor continued to flip through Steve’s file. “Where are you from, Mr. Rogers? Mmm? Is it New Haven? Or Paramus? Five exams in five different cities.”

 

Steve flushed, “That might not be the right file.”

 

Erskine gave them both a grin, “No, it's not the exams I'm interested in. It's the five tries. But you didn't answer my question. Do you want to kill Nazis?”

 

“Is this a test?” Steve looked between Erskine and Will.

 

“Yes.” Erskine hummed.

 

“I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they're from.” Steve explained.

 

“Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is the little guy, huh? I can offer you a chance.” He paused, “She assured me she would be coming along with you, something about her husband would kill her if she didn’t keep up with you.”

 

Steve flushed, “Her husband is my best friend, I’m her guardian until he gets home, since she’s not eighteen yet.” He didn’t bother to tell the doctor how old she was, he had a feeling Erskine knew.

 

Will climbed off the table, with Steve’s help, and the pair moved to follow Erskine. “Only a chance.” He reiterated.

 

“I’ll take it.” Steve offered his hand.

 

“Me too.” Will folded her hand over his, making the doctor pause.

 

He offered his hand to shake their intertwined hands, “Good. So where is the little guy from, actually?”

 

“Brooklyn.” Will and Steve responded simultaneously.

 

“I have paperwork for you, Mrs. Barnes. I think you are going to make an outstanding Field Medic with you're history of working in hospitals, and as for you Mr. Rogers.” He stamped the forms and handed them back, “Congratulations, soldier.”

 

-/-

 

Steve took the bed that night, starfished across it. “Go on, he can love you tonight.” Bucky had been shocked that Will was still awake, the tumbler of alcohol in her hand even more alarming. “Don’t worry about me, Buck, I’ll be fine.” She kissed his temple as he tugged his layers off, letting her iron and press the uniform he had to put back on in the morning.

 

“Stevie.” He whispered as he dropped into bed with Steve. “Doll?”

 

“Buck?” He was tired, and now Bucky felt bad about waking him, then arms were around his neck, and lips against his, and any worries about the morning seemed to float away.

 

-/-

 

“Wake up, Soldier.” Will tugged on his arm, already dressed in her best dress, a red little number that hugged her growing curves, and black peep toe heels. Her hair was done up in polished victory curls, and her lips painted a vibrant red, her cheeks rosey and her eyes clearer than his were. “You’ve got thirty minutes before you miss your train.”

 

“Where’s my doll?” He muttered.

 

“At you're mothers.” She managed, “He knows you're mom doesn’t know about you two, and he figured it would look respectable of him to give us time to ‘see you off’ properly. Basically he’s avoiding you.” She bit her bottom lip, “He’s scared, Buck.” She didn’t say what of, she let the older man guess.

 

“Me too.” He finally said, eyes heavy and heart breaking.

 

The platform was teeming with people, and she had to clutch madly at him to even get her footing. They were not the only teary eyed couple. Will looked more put together than most of the young brides, then again she’d been his wife for a while, now.

 

They found a space, in the middle of it all, his duffle over his shoulder, and both his arms around her. She looked like the only woman made of steel on the platform, her ghost of a smile cold and calculating,  with wide eyes and a twisted sad frown, “You take care of you.” She ordered, the unspoken order for him to come home, between them. Tears were hanging off her eyelashes.

 

“You take care of you and Stevie, honey.” Bucky begged, eyes darting over her face, over her features, as if he could commit the moment to memories. He kissed her lips and hugged her tight to his chest as the first call to board sounded behind them.

 

He kissed her again, just for good measure, she pulled him in and whispered, featherlight, “I’ll pass it on to Steve.” She promised, as he broke away, the third call for boarding, her voice breaking as she called, “I love you James Buchanan.” After him, a sob falling from her lips.

 

Most of the women left the station as the train pulled away, but she stayed rooted in spot, in her red dress, waving after a man that wasn’t hers - not really, until she couldn’t see the train anymore, either it had gotten to far away or her eyes wer clouded with too many tears.

 

-/-

 

Saying goodbye to the apartment hadn’t been as emotionally destructive as either Steve or Will thought it would have been. Becca Barnes and Mrs. Barnes helped them pack everything into boxes and milk crates. “I can hold onto this stuff until you get back.” Becca had promised, “I can’t believe they drafted you both.”

 

That had been an easy lie, one that Will had made. “They need a field medic, and that’s basically what an emergency nurse is. And even Bucky knew it was only a matter of time before the vultures stopped caring about medical issues.” She had a sad look on her face. “At least Steve and I are going to be in the same unit.” She offered, and wasn’t that the kicker - it was a special unit.

 

“I didn’t understand why.” Mrs. Barnes started, as she cupped Will’s face in her hands, “Why my son would through his life away on you, but now I understand.” She looked to where Steve was standing, sweater wrapped around him, and art book under his arm, tears on his face. “You have given your life for both of theres.” She hugged her tight, and whispered, “They don’t know, but I know how they look at each other.”

 

Will pulled away with tears on her face, “Thank you, Mrs. Barnes, Steve might need to know that.” She smiled warmly, then looked at Becca, “Thought you're intended was coming around to help us pack things up - this isn’t fun, three dames and a cripple.” She laughed as Steve laughed, then grabbed two boxes, her feet bare save her tights, and headed down to the old truck.

 

They watched with a suitcase each as Mrs. Barnes and Becca drove away, waving and smiling, before they headed to the train station, hand in hand. “You look pretty.” Steve finally whispered, the same dress on her frame as the day she’d saw Bucky off.

 

“Might as well get a second wear out of this thing before we go off to save the world.” She nudged him, an elbow to the ribs, but smiled at him lovingly, “Plus, I made it out of those curtains Bucky got from Mr. Lassiter for that last prize fight.”

 

-/-

 

Being that she wasn’t an actual soldier she spent an alarming amount of time in formation with men, dressed like a man, with her hair braided down her back. Today, under the sun, and in the heat, counting herself, eleven cadets stood. Steve was down from her, somewhere. Officers all around them were shouting out orders to their cadets, when a woman dressed in Army Green, and heels made her way to them. “Recruits, attention! Gentlemen, Lady, I’m Agent Carter. I supervise all operations for this division.”

 

“What’s with the accent, Queen Victoria! Thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army.” The recruit next to Steve mouthed, Will rolled her eyes, and Steve looked at him alarmed.

 

“What’s your name, soldier?” Carter asked, Will took the time to study the beautiful creature, brown wavy hair, not a piece of clothing out of place, curvy, cute lips, a cupids bow worth kissing, and determined eyes.

 

“Gilmore Hodge, you're Majesty.” The cadet offered.

 

“Step forward, Hodge.” Carter demanded. The recruit looked wager, as he stepped forward. “Put you're right foot forward.” Peggy instructed.

 

“Mmm… we gonna wrassle? Cause I got a few moves I know you’ll like.” Hodge offered.

 

“Pig.” Will muttered.

 

Peggy punched him in the face, hard. “Agent Carter.” A man spoke from behind them, where he’d just stepped out of a car.

 

“Colonel Phillips.” Peggy rubbed her knuckles.

 

“I see you're breaking in the candidates. That’s good!” He looked down at Hodge, “Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention until somebody comes and tells you what to do!”

 

“Yes, sir!” Hodge struggled to his feet, and took his place in line once more.

 

Colonel Phillips continued, “General Patton has sad that wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best men…” He looked Steve over and frowned, “And because they’re gonna get better, much better. the Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world.” His eyes landed on Will, “What are you doing, medic?”

 

“Agent Carter requested I receive tactical training, Sir.” She responded.

 

Phillips just shook his head, “Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man. At the end of this week we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldiers. And they, will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell.”

 

Will rolled her eyes.

 

-/-

 

The next three days, if anyone had asked, Will would have kindly told them, the next three days were hell. Maybe worse than hell, Purgatory maybe? She and Steve were the runts of the litter in every literal way. She could duck punches and uses her attackers momentum against them, but Steve was clumsy and all heart. The pair tumbled and elbowed their way through mud, climbing, and running. More than once, Steve had an asthma attack and she’d slow down to help him, just for both of them to be screamed at.

 

Day five was running, with packs. Ahead of them Peggy was riding in a jeep with Sergeant Duffy. Steve, per the norm, was in the back of the pack, next to him Will. “Pick up the pace, ladies! Let’s go! Double time!” When they managed to reach the flagpole, “Squad, halt! That flag means we are only at the halfway point. First man, er.. Cadet, to bring it to me gets to ride back with Agent Carter! Move, move!”

 

“I hope Bucky isn’t an asshole Sergeant like him.” Will muttered.

 

Steve wheezed beside her. Ahead of them the soldiers were trying in various ways to bring the flag down, as predicted Hodge was the one who broke out above the rest, and started to haul himself up the pole. “If that's all you got, this army's in trouble! Get up there, Hodge! Come on! Get up there! Nobody's got that flag in 17 years! Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in! Let's go! Get back into formation! Rogers! Barnes! I said fall in!”

 

Will motioned Steve ahead, she pulled the pin out of the bottom of the flag pole, then kicked at the metal, making it fall over. Steve walked over to it, and grabbed the flag, he handed it off to Sergeant Duffy, “Thank you, sir.” He climbed into the car, and they drove away.

 

Will sprinted back to camp, making it back first.

 

After lunch, which was bread and water, they were ordered to do push-ups, save Will, who was standing with Erskine who going over his notes. “Faster, ladies! Come on. My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!”

 

“You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?” Col. Phillips grumbled, as Will trailed behind, carefully taking notes.

 

Erskine made a thoughtful noise. “I am more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice.”

 

Philips grunted, “When you brought a ninety pounds asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide, I thought, what the hell? Maybe he’ll be useful to you like a gerbil. When you brought a woman, whose husband is already in the military, but sticks to the asthmatics side like that’s her husband, I thought, what the hell? She’ll be nice to look at, when you told me her actual age, I started to get worried. I’ve got a lot of faith in you, but I never thought you’d pick him.”

 

Peggy noticed their advance, as Will came to rest just to her left, “Up.”

 

Philips sighed, “You stick a needle in that kids arms and it's’ gonna go right through him.” He watched Steve as he struggled to keep up with the exercises the other cadets were doing.

 

“Come on, girls.” Peggy ordered.

 

“Look at that.” Philips urged Erskine. “He’s making me cry.” Steve was winded, unable to keep jumping for the jumping-jacks.

 

“I am looking for qualities beyond the physical.” Erskine asserted. “You said no woman could be an excellent archer and marksmen in two days - Will is just that, she never misses her targets, even from impossible distances.”

 

Philips ignored him, “Do you know how long it took to set up this project?”

 

Erskine nodded, “Of course I do.

 

“All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What’s-His-Name’s committees?”

 

“Brant.” Erskine rolled his shoulders, “Yes I know, I am well aware of your efforts.”

 

“Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He’s big, he’s fast, he obeys orders. He’s a soldier.” Philips begged.

 

“He’s a bully.” Will muttered, making both men startle and look at her.

 

“He’s a bully.” Erskine repeated, a small smile playing on his lips.

 

“You don't win wars with niceness, doctor.” He moved to the truck they’d been standing near, and drew out a hand grenade. “You win war with guts.” He asserted, then threw the grenade at where the new recruits were training. “GRENADE!” He shouted.

 

In a flurry of movement, everyone moved away - save Peggy, Will, Erskine, and Philips. Steve, the idiot, had jumped on top of it, covering it with his body, “Get away! Get Back!” He ordered, making himself even tighter around the grenade.

 

Will sighed, as Peggy nodded at her, “It was a dummy grenade. All clear. Back in formation.” Steve looked up to see Will, “When I tell Buck about this he is going to be so pissed.” She hissed as she helped him up.

 

Steve glared at her, as she dusted him off, his eyes darted between Phillips and Erskine. “Is this a test?” Erskine shrugged, and Phillips glared ahead, Erskine made a face that said ‘he’s the one’.

 

Phillips grumbled, “He’s still skinny and the girl is his achilles.” Before walking away.

 

Will gave Steve a tight hug, and smiled, maybe they’d live through this after all.

 

-/-

 

Long after most of the cadets had been sorted into other units - since Steve was picked by Erskine to be the ‘test subject’, Will was given her official badges for her uniform as a field medic. Peggy had even shown her how to properly tuck her blouse in.

 

Now, in Army issued pajamas the pair (Steve and Will) were sitting on Steve’s bunk, sharing a book between the two of them. Erskine knocked on the door, and waited patiently. “May I?” He asked after a moment.

 

“Yeah.” Steve looked up, just as Will scooted toward the head of the bed, putting her feet in Steve’s lap.

 

“Can’t sleep?” Erskine asked, as he sat down across from Steve.

 

Steve looked thoughtfully at Erskine, “I got the jitters, I guess.”

 

“Me, too.” Erskine offered, “And you Mrs. Barnes?”

 

“I go where he goes.” She motioned towards Steve, “He ain’t in dreamland, I ain’t in dreamland.”

 

Erskine nodded, accepting her sentiment, if not even more confused about Steve and Will.

 

“Can I ask you a question?” Steve said, thoughtfully.

 

Erskine cocked his head to the side, “Just one?”

 

Steve nodded, “Why me?”

 

Will snorted, “Not subtle at all, Stevie.” She had taken the book from Steve’s hand and folded it up, biting at her bottom lip, but scooting closer, so that she could listen too.

 

Erskine gave them both a long look. “I suppose that is the only question that matters.” He looked down at the bottle of schnapps he brought with him. “This is from Augsburg. My city. So many people forget that the first country that the Nazi’s invaded was their own. You now, after the last war the… my people struggled. They… they felt weak. They felt small. And then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags and the… and the…” He waved his hands. “And he… he hears of me, my work and he finds me. And he says, ‘You’, he says, ‘you will make us strong’. Well, I am not interested. So he send the head of Hydra, his research division. A brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt.” He paused again, as Will and Steve settled more into each other. “Now, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle and he's ambitious. He and Hitler share a passion for occult power and Teutonic myth. Hitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers. But for Schmidt it is not fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is a great power hidden in the earth, left here by the Gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man. So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist.”

 

“He gave himself whatever you plan to give Steve tomorrow?” Will asked, curious.

 

“I knew I liked you.” Erskine smirked at her, “Schmidt must become the superior man.”

 

“Did it make him stronger?” Steve asked, still in awe that Will figured out the key point.

 

Erskine looked uneasy for a moment, “Yeah. But, there were other effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man. The serum amplifies everything that is inside. So, good becomes great. Bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion.”

 

“Thanks, I think.” Steve hummed.

 

Erskine smiled widely and tired, he poured two drinks, “Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing, that you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.” Erskine handed Will one of the drinks.

 

“You know I’m 16, right?” She wiggled her eyebrow.

 

“You only get this moment once.” Erskine offered, as they toasted.

 

“To the little guys!” Steve winked, and then realized he didn’t have a drink, “I can drink after, right?”

 

“Of course, Steve.” Erskine smiled at him. “I’ll save you some.”

 

-/-

 

Peggy ushered them both into a cab, pushing Steve against the window, then settling Will into the middle. They rode through Brooklyn, “I know this neighborhood. I got beat up in that alley.” They continued on, “And that parking lot.” He sighed, “And behind that diner.”

 

“Did you have something against running away?” Peggy asked.

 

Will snorted, but tried to hide it behind a cough.

 

“You start running they’ll never let you stop. You stand up, push back. You can’t say no forever, right?” Steve offered, he was still jittery, his nerves bubbling into Will’s calm demaner, making her uneasy about the day.

 

“I know a little of what that's like. To have every door shut in your face.” Peggy nodded along.

 

“I guess I just don't why you'd wanna join the army if you're a beautiful dame. Or a beautiful...a woman. An agent, not a dame! You are beautiful, but…” Will giggled as Steve stumbled over his own words, Peggy to her credit just snorted and smiled full of mirth.

 

“You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?” Peggy accused, “Unless Will counts, and she doesn’t because she’s more like you're little sister, right?”

 

Steve hummed, “This is the longest conversation I've had with one. Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on.”

 

Peggy frowned, “You must have danced?”

 

“Well, asking a woman to dance always seems so terrifying. And the past few year just didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait.” He lied, easily, making Will look up at him through blonde eyelashes, with something akin to pain in her eyes.

 

“For what?” Peggy asked, easily.

 

“The right partner.” It had a double meaning, at least to Will - it had to be the woman for her, but also the woman who could understand what Steve, Bucky, and Will already were - a family.

 

The car came to a stop outside an antique shop. Peggy ushered them out of the car, “This way.”

 

“What are we doing here?” Steve looked up at the building, Will elbowed him, she looked like Peggy’s little twin - in matching suits, hair done up proper, and nice shoes.

 

“Follow me.” Peggy ordered, again, a bit firmer this time. As she led them inside.

 

“Wonderful weather this morning isn’t it?” The store owner asked, she was an older crone of a woman, whose eyes danced with distaste.  

 

“Yes, but I always carry an umbrella.” Peggy responded, making both Steve and Will raise an eyebrow because Peggy Carter did not in fact have an umbrella. Peggy moved past, toward the back of the store, and led them into the hidden lab to Dr. Erskine and his team in a big circular room, full of machinery with a pod in the middle.

 

“Good morning.” Erskine smiled around the room, as he shook Steve’s hand, and allowed Will to hug him, they’d grown close enough for her to be openly affectionate, doing both at the same time was distracting enough he didn’t notice the photographer until the flash bulb went off, “Please, not now!” He ordered the man away. “Are you ready?” Steve’s eyes were watching the Pod, he nodded, “Good, take off your shirt, you're tie and you're hat.”

 

Above them the observation room was filling up with officials. The conversation from above carried down, “Senator Brandt, glad you could make it.” Philips smiled at the senator as he approached.

 

“Why exactly am I in Brooklyn?” Brandt demanded.

 

“We need access to the city’s power grid. Of course, if you’d of given me the generators I requisitioned…” He started.

 

Brant silenced him, “A lot of people are asking for funds, Colonel.” He motioned around them, “Oh this is…” He pulled a man from the crowd.

 

“Fred Clemson, State Department.” He shook Philips hand. “If this project of yours comes through, we’d like to see it used for something other than headlines.”

 

“Jesus. Somebody get that kid a sandwich.” Brandt looked down at Steve. “Who's the broad?”

 

Will was hovering over Steve, as he clambered onto the Pod and laid down. She ran her fingers over his face. “You are so amazing, Stevie, I love you.” She pressed a chaste kiss to the side of his mouth, and scooted back.

 

Erskine chose to ignore the adoration between them, “Comfortable?” He asked Steve.

 

“It’s a little big.” Steve admitted. “You save me any of that schnapps?”

 

“Not as much as I should have, sorry.” He looked apologetically at Steve. “Next time.” He patted his shoulders. “Mr. Stark, how are you're levels?”

 

Will, who was now standing beside Stark, hummed as he said, “Levels at 100%”

 

“I saw you're floating car, that’s pretty… intense.” She muttered.

 

Erskine shot her a look that told her pointedly to be quiet, just as Stark flushed and spoke again, “We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready as we’ll ever be.”

 

“Agent Carter? Doctor Barnes? Don’t you think you would be more comfortable in the booth?” Erskine waved them both off.

 

“Oh, yes. Of course.” Peggy seemed reluctant, just as Will caught her arm. “Sorry.”

 

“I don’t wanna leave him either, doll.” Will hummed, as she pulled them away, until they both flanked Philips.

 

“Good.” Erisken nodded to himself, “Do you hear me? Is this on?” He asked the microphone, in the booth above he heard muttered approval of his noise level. “Ladies and gentlemen,  today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace. We begin with a series of micro injections into the subjects major muscle groups. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change. And then to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays.”

 

One of Stark’s many assistants gave Steve a shot in his arm, he smiled as Erskine loomed over, “That wasn’t so bad.” He managed.

 

“That was penicillin.” Erskine huffed. “Serum infusion beginning in five, four, three, two, one.” As he spoke they started settling the vials of blue liquid into the pod. “Now, Mr. Stark.” Howard lowered a lever, the pod moved upright and enclosed Steve. Will leaned forward, her heart racing, just as Philips put a comforting hand on the small of her back, and whispered a hushed, _Mrs. Barnes_ , “Steven can you hear me?” Erskine asked as he tapped on the capsule now wrapped around Steve.

 

“It's probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?” His voice sounded distorted.

 

Erskine almost laughed, he doubted he would ever fully understand the humor both Steve and Will had a tendency to share. “We will proceed.” He waved his arm at Howard.

 

Howard focused on the panel in front of him, he turned a control. “That's ten percent. Twenty percent. Thirty. That's 40 %.” A smile was peaking on his face.

 

“Vital signs are normal.” Another attendant offered.

 

“That’s 50%. Sixty. Seventy.” Howard froze as Steve’s screams grew loud enough even those in the booth could hear him, Will had broken free of Philips and was making her way down, eyes alive with something.

 

“Steven!” Erskine shouted.

 

“SHUT IT DOWN!” Will shouted, her voice hard.

 

“Steven!” Erskine knocked on the pod, harder.

 

Peggy had joined Will, as Steve’s screams made the younger girl seeth, “Shut it down!”

 

“Kill the reactor, Mr. Stark.” His screams were louder, bouncing off the metal. “Kill it! Kill the Reactor!” Erskine ordered.

 

Before Stark could turn the knob, Will had made it to the pod, and climbed up it to look in, “NO!” She shouted, looking back at Stark, “Don’t.”

 

“I can do this!” Steve cried out.

 

The room was charged around them, “Eighty. Ninety. That's 100 %.” Stark announced, and it held for all of a minute, before the power overloaded, and the reactor shut itself down.

 

Erskine had to shove Will out of the way to get back to the pod, “Mr. Stark?” Stark had already pried the pod opened.

 

Steve was breathing, his whole body larger, more defined, not that it seemed to phase Will, her whole being launched into him, and punched him in the jaw, “Don’t you ever scare me like that again you selfish punk.” Tears were threatening to fall. “If anything happened to you I would be dead!” She growled punching him again, recoiling when the pain radiated up her arm.

 

Erskine shoved her back, into Peggy. “Steven. Steven.” Erskine breathed, a smile on his face.

 

Philips shook his head, “The son of a bitch did it.”

 

Steve fell forward, Erskine on one side, Stark on the other, both Peggy and Will giving him sharp looks. “I did it, right? We did it?” Steve asked, his lungs expanding, his breathing evening out. He’d never felt better.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I think we did it.” Erskine grinned.

 

“We actually did it.” Stark smiled.

 

“How do you feel?” Peggy asked, petting him, gently.

 

“Taller.” Steve offered a smile on his face, as he pulled Will into a hug, and pressed a kiss to her head, now he was tall like Bucky, and could cradle her against his frame, her head only reaching the center of his chest, “I won’t do that again.” He promised, and rubbed her back affectionately.

 

“How do you like Brooklyn now, Senator?” Philips asked Brandt as they started to climb down the stairs, the whole group setting to follow them.

 

“I can think of some folks in Berlin who are about to get very nervous.” He shook Erskine's hand, “ Congratulations, Doctor.”

 

“Thank you, sir.” Erskine smiled.A bomb erupted in the observation room, while the man Brandt had introduced as a member of the state department grabbed the last vial of serum. “STOP HIM!” Erskine shouted after him, the man whirled and shot him in the chest. Peggy took off running after him. Will a beat behind her, gun already drawn.

 

Steve cradled Erskine’s form in his arms, the scientist pointed at Steve’s heart and smiled, eyes fluttering closed. Steve took off in a sprint, barefoot after Peggy and Will. He collided with both girls who were shooting at a taxi as it was barreling toward them.

 

“I had him!” Peggy houted.

 

“Sorry!” Steve waved as he took off. He wasn’t able to control his run, too much power, and his body not the one he was used to, he collided with the side of a bridal store, and almost took out a bride-to-be. He ran almost into a car, as he attempted to tighten himself. By the time he caught up with the car, he dove on top, clutching at the hood, his arms long enough now to reach and hold on, as the bomber shot up through the roof at him, the bomber lost control of the car, as he darted away he grabbed a child.

 

“No! No! Not my son!” The mother pleaded.

 

“Stop it!” The boy kicked wildly at the bomber.

 

“Don’t hurt him!” The mother begged.

 

“Get back.” The man, now with a formal German accent warned, before taking off. Steve chased him, running until he watched the man toss the boy into the water.

 

“I can swim, go get him!” The boy called up.

 

The bomber clambered into some sort of submarine, and attempted to make off, but Steve, now stronger and actually able to hold his breath, dove in, using powerful kicks, he broke open the window, and pulled the bomber out, dragging him to the pier, and hauling him up. “Who the hell are you?” Steve demanded as he tossed the man on the ground.

 

“The first of many. Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail Hydra!” He wiggled his tongue, popping out a fake tooth, and swallowed it. He let out a shaky breath, as his mouth started to foam, then he seized, before dying.

 

-/-

 

One of the remaining doctors drew five vials of blood from Steve as he sat at the SSR compound, “You think you got enough.”

 

“Any hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code. But without Dr. Erskine it will take years.” Peggy offered, Will was standing behind her, looking a little irritated, with stitches on her cheek.

 

“He deserved more than this.” Steve muttered, waving his arms around him.

 

“If it could only work once, he’d be proud it was you.” Will offered, finally meeting Steve’s eyes.

 

“Did I do that?” Steve asked, her whole face on the right side was bruised.

 

“You're shoulder hit her.” Peggy muttered, closing the case the vials were in, and handing it off to one of Stark’s men. “Come on.” She led them to the lab, where Stark was looking over the submarine Steve had drug out of the Potomac.

 

“Colonel Philips, my committee is demanding answers.” Senator Brandt growled.

 

“Great.” Philips nodded, “Why don’t we start with how a German spy got a ride to my secret installation in your car.” He growled back, looking to Stark, “What have we got here?”

 

Howard did not look pleased, “Speaking modestly, I'm the best mechanical engineer in this country. But I don't know what's inside this thing or how it works. We're not even close to this technology.”

 

“Then who is?” Brandt demanded.

 

“Hydra.” Phillips quipped, “I’m sure you've been reading our briefings.”

 

“I’m on a number of committees, Colonel.”

 

“Hydra is the Nazi deep since division.” Peggy started.

 

“It’s led by Johann Schmidt, but he has bigger ambitions.” Will continued, holding her head high as the Senator looked her over.

 

Phillips continued, “Hydra is practically a cult, they worship Schmidt, they think he’s invisible.”

 

The Senator raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms, “So what are you gonna do about it?”

 

Phillips sighed, “Spoke to the president this morning, as of today the SSR is being retasked.”

 

“Colonel?” Peggy asked, sounding confused.

 

“We are taking the fight to Hydra. Pack your bags Agent Carter. You too, Stark. You're flying to London tonight.” He looked at Will, “You're being sent to an active combat area - to a unit whose field medic was killed in action, you're going to Germany, Doctor Barnes, God speed be with you.” He clasped her shoulder, and turned away.

 

“Sir, if you're going after Schmidt, I want in.” Steve looked panicked, he’d never considered them separating him and Will.

 

“You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo.” Phillips shot back at him.

 

“The serum worked!” Steve challenged.

 

“I asked for an army and all I got was you.” Phillips snarled, “You are not enough. Barnes, pack up, now, you are not up for discussion either.”

 

“Sir, yes, sir.” Will cast Steve a look, before she grabbed her duffle and hung her head.

 

“I’ll take you to the station.” Peggy whispered, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

 

The Colonel and Stark packed up as Brant approached Steve. “With all due respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it.” He snapped his fingers at his aid, who showed the the newspaper, the headline read: _Nazis in New York - mystery man saves child_. You don’t take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab. The enlistment lines have been around the block since you're picture hit the newsstands. Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?”

 

“Sir, that’s all I want.” Steve smiled, and looked toward the doorway Will had went through. “Can Will come?”

 

“She got her marching order, son. Congratulations, you just got promoted.”

 

-/-

 

Will Barnes settled into her seat on the plane, a frown on her features as she read over the majority of information she should have learned in bootcamp. According to her pamphlet, “Combat medics or field medics (or medics) are military personnel who have been trained to at least an EMT-B level (16-week course in the U.S. Army), and are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield.”

 

She had working knowledge of emergency medicine from the hospital, but she doubted that he knowledge of tuberculosis and measles would be any good for this war. So she wa cramming every bit of knowledge into her head she could afford, her hands shook and her heart raced at every bump of turbulence the plane suffered.

 

When she landed, she met her new Colonel. Colonel Jim Walton. “I was expecting a man.”

 

“Colonel Phillips gave me a high recommendation.” She shot back, handing him the paperwork.

 

“I need a medic, are you a medic?” Walton asked, unimpressed.

 

“Sir, yes, sir.” She snapped, jetlagged, and starting to hate the cold of wherever she landed.

 

“Welcome to 107th Infantry Regiment of the New York Army National Guard.” He muttered, “What’s your name, medic?”

 

“Will Barnes, Sir.” She grumbled.

 

“Related to Sergeant James Barnes?” He asked, as he started to walk away.

 

“Yes, Sir, he’s my husband.” She didn’t bother to lie.

 

Walton turned to look at her, and studied her hard. “Come on then, don’t want to stop you're happy reunion.” She cringed and followed him, even as the plane she’d arrived on took off. Her duffle over her shoulder, dogtags cold against her neck, and hands shoved into her pockets. The ground was hard beneath her feet, and snow threatened to fall, the sky already dark. “Go on, lass.” He shoved her toward a tent.

 

“Buck?” Her voice was soft, even as he turned.

 

Surprise on his face, his first reaction was to tug her into his arms, she dropped her pack, and hugged back just as fierce. “God, Will.” He breathed her in, “How come you're here, why ain’t ya written?” He pulled back to look at her.

 

“I have to tell you something, about Steve.” She watched the wheels in his mind turn, “He’s not dead.” She moved out of his arms, and dug around in her pack, until she pulled out the two newspapers. One that showed Erisken shaking Steve’s hand, with her under Erskine’s arm, the other showing Steve taking out the Nazi in New York. “He found a way.”

 

Bucky frowned, “And you went with him.”

 

“And I went with him, but we got split up. And Colonel Phillips has a particular hatred for me, so he shipped me here.” She frowned, “I think he thought it would serve me right for meddling, sending me back to my husband.”

 

Bucky nodded. “I… I can protect you, what’s Steve doing?”

 

“He’s on tour, selling war bonds.” She smiled. “I’d of fought harder, but they turned him into a dancing monkey.” She shrugged.

 

Bucky smiled warmly at her, “They tell you what happened to Bob?”

 

“The old Medic?” She shrugged, “He’s dead right?”

 

“Shot.” Bucky nodded. “How about you meet the guys, huh?”

 

“Can I just take a nap with you? I had to ride in one of Stark’s new deathtraps, and I’m not sure I’m really here yet?” She whined, Bucky laughed, and shed out of his jacket, helping her out of her own jacket, before he dropped onto his cot, and pulled her down on his chest, “I missed you.” She burrowed into his warmth, and tumbled into sleep.

 

-/-

 

Steve found out after the fact, that Will had been sent in to the 107th to replace their field medic - he wasn’t sure how he felt about it, but when Brandt told him, he cringed, sure that Bucky was probably screaming at her, or maybe thinking about drowning her.

 

He wasn’t a fan of what he ended up doing, being a dancing and singing monkey for Brandt - he understood the need to see war bonds - money for the war meant more supplies for the men fighting. As he got dressed, he couldn’t help himself from feeling silly. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

 

The man, who Steve still didn’t know the name of, but often referred to him as Brandt’s aid, looked at him unimpressed. “Nothing to it. Sell off a few bonds, bonds buy bullets, bullets kill Nazi’s. Bing bang boom. You're an American Hero.” He assured, not holding eye contact or bothering to actually look up from his clipboard.

 

“It’s just not how I pictured getting there.” Steve knew he sounded like a child, he felt like even Will would have called him out on it.

 

Instead Brandt’s aid cast him a rude look and said, “The senator’s got a lot of pull up on the hill. You play ball with us, you'll be leading your own platoon in no time. Take the shield.” He shoved it at Steve, and shoved him out from behind the curtain to the stage.

 

-/-

 

When the first tank exploded, Bucky drug her down and shielded her body from most of the debrie, his face twisted and dark. When a bomb went off not far from them, he tore her helmet off and cut her hair with the blunt side of his knife, tucking it around her face in a boy cut. “It’s for your own good.”

 

She glared at him, but helped him bury her locks of blonde hair.

 

Two more explosions rocked their hidingsports before men stormed them, dragging them up, the firefight was short, with at least three enemy soldiers per one of theirs. Right away, Bucky and Will were pulled out of the other groupings, a man with wild hair and a lab coat circled them. “Interesting.”

 

-/-

 

**ITALY**

  * **NOVEMBER 1943**



 

The first time Steve Rogers addresses actual troops, things are bad, he can see that long before the girls are done - they look hungry, tired, and angry. Men who don’t want to be where they are, men who probably have seen things that keep them up at night. But, begrudgingly he has a job to do, and Brandt’s assistant is not about to let him walk away (he already tried, twice). So, he climbed the stairs, head held high. “How many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw?” No one answered, Steve swallowed nervously, “Okay. Uh… I need a volunteer.”

 

“I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?” Someone shouted from the crowd.

 

“Bring back the girls!” Another one yelled.

 

“I think they only know the one song. But, uhm… let me… I’ll… I’ll see what I can do.” He moved to head down the stage, but stopped when another man shouted.

 

“You do that sweetheart!”

 

From across the crowd he heard, “Nice boots, Tinkerbell!” Soldiers laughed around them.

 

“Come on, guys, We’re all on the same team here!” Steve tried, already irritated.

 

“Hey, Captain! Sign this!” A man stood and pulled his pants down. Soon members of the audience were throwing food at him, he ducked behind the shield and darted back behind stage.

 

“Bring back the girls!” Another soldier cried, as the girls ambled out onto stage.

 

Brandts Aid chuckled, “Don’t worry, pal. They’ll warm up to you. Don’t worry.”

 

-/-

 

Steve found a dry place to sketch as the rain poured down around them. Steve couldn’t help but wonder where in the world both Bucky and Will were. He missed them, he missed everything. “Hello, Steve.” He looked up to see Peggy standing beside him.

 

“Hi.” He hummed.

 

“Hi.” She smiled softly at him.

 

“What are you doin’ here.” He wondered.

 

She laughed a bit, “Officially I’m not here at all.” She joined him on the crate he was sitting on, pressing her shoulder against his. “That was quite a performance.”

 

“Yeah. Uh...I had to improvise a little bit. Crowds I'm used to are usually more uh... twelve.” Steve admitted, a fond smile on his face as he thought about the theaters crammed full.

 

“I understand you're ‘America’s New Hope’?” She teased him, softly, curiously.

 

“Bond sales take  ten percent bump in every state I visit.” Steve repeated.

 

“Is that Senator Brandt I hear?” Peggy gave him an amused look.

 

“At least he’s got me doin’ this.” Steve challenged. “Phillips took Will from me, and wanted to ship me off to a lab.”

 

  
“And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know?” For a moment she thought he was going to say something, his mouth slightly open, then he clamped his jaw tight, “What?” She prodded.

 

“You know for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I’m wearing tights.” Honking behind them turned both their heads to see an ambulance full of wounded soldiers. “They look like they’ve been through hell.”

 

Peggy hummed her agreement. “These men more than most. Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the one-oh-seventh. The rest were killed or captured.”

 

Steve paled, “The one-oh-seventh?”

 

“What?” Peggy watched him jerk up and take off, her following in the rain.

 

“That’s Bucky’s unit, that’s where they sent Will!” Steve called over his shoulder, as they ran into the tent. “Colonel Phillips!”

 

“Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan. And what is your plan today?” He was seated behind a desk, with several signed papers in front of him, a stack to the left going into envelopes.

 

Steve held his head up, “I need the casualty list from Azzano.” He managed.

 

Phillips rolled his eyes. “You don’t get to give me orders, son.”

 

“I just need one name. Barnes. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh, or Will Barnes, surely you remember the doctor you sent as a Field Medic!” Steve lost his temper.

 

Phillips sighed, looked at Peggy, “You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won’t enjoy.”

 

“Please tell me if he’s alive… if she’s alive, sir… B-A-R…” He started.

 

“I can spell.” Phillips snapped, “I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I’m sorry.”

 

“What about the others?” Steve demanded. “Are you planning a rescue mission?” He knew it was a long shot, but Bucky was always a fighter, if anyone could survive it was him and Will was smart, street smart, she could hide, blend in.

 

Again Philips looked at Peggy, “It’s called winning the war, son.”

 

“But if you know where they are, why not at least-” Steve started.

 

Philips held his hand up to cut him off, “they’re thirty miles behind the lines. Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We’d lose more man than we’d save. But i don’t expect you to understand that because you're a chorus girl. Now don’t get me wrong, I am sorry about Will - she was a damn fine woman, and lola, but she chose to follow you and she’s dead because of it.”

 

Steve’s face darkened. “I think I understand just fine.”

 

“Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you’ve got someplace to be in thirty minutes.” Philips turned his back and moved away.

 

Steve chanced a look at the military map, conforming it all to memory, “Yes sir I do.” Steve called out as he started to leave.

 

Phillips didn’t even look at Peggy when he spoke, “If you have something to say, right now is the perfect time to keep it to yourself.”

 

Peggy followed behind Steve, holding her hands over her head to prevent the rain from getting in her eyes. Inside his tent he was pulling things into a bag, “What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?”

 

“If that’s what it takes.” Steve hummed.

 

“You heard the Colonel - both of them are most likely dead.” Peggy managed to keep a straight face, although something about it didn’t fit right.

 

“You don’t know that.” Steve sassed, then looked at Peggy, “She was fond of you.”

 

“Even so, he’s devising a strategy, if he detects…” Peggy flailed her hands a bit.

 

Steve shook his head, “By the time he’s done that, it could be too late!” The walked out to the keep. “You old me you thought I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?”

 

“Every word.” Peggy swore.

 

“Then you gotta let me go.” He hummed, and climbed into the Jeep.

 

“I can do more than that.” Peggy said, catching his arm.

 

-/-

 

Howard Stark was a godsend, and he looked completely thrilled to be flying what was very likely a suicide mission. “Let’s go get that little hell cat back!” He grinned, a wide and rambunctious smile on his face. “I’ve missed that little minx.”

 

Steve glared at him as Peggy started, “The Hydra camp is in Krausberg, tucked between these two mountain ranges. It’s a factory of some kind.” She indicated at the map she was sharing with Steve, it spread across both their laps.

 

“ We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep.” Howard sounded over his shoulder, not taking his eyes or hands away from the controls.

 

“Just get me as close as you can.” He looked between them. “You know, you two are gonna be in a lot of trouble.”

 

“And you won’t?” Peggy demanded.

 

Steve shrugged, “Where I’m goin’, if anybody yells at me I can just shoot ‘em.”

 

Peggy rolled her eyes, “They will undoubtedly shoot back.”

 

“Well, let’s hope it’s good for something.” He motioned to his shield.

 

Howard took that moment to call over his shoulder, “Agent Carter, if we’re not in too much of a hurry I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late night fondue.”

 

Peggy looked awkwardly between Steve, who was putting his chute together, and Howard. “Stark is the best civilian pilot I’ve ever seen. He’s mad enough to brave this airspace, so we are lucky to have him.”

 

“So are you two...? Do you...? Fondue?” Steve sputtered, brows knitted together.

 

Peggy ignored him, “This is you're transponder.” She handed him a black box, “Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you.”

 

“Are you sure this thing works?” Steve asked, curious.

 

“It’s been tested more than you, pal.” Howard snarked, as their plane rocked with the violence of bombs bombarding them.

 

Steve took several steps toward the open door. “Get back here! We are taking you all the way!”

 

“As soon as I’m free, you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!” Steve shouted, over the wind.

 

“You can’t give me orders!” Peggy snapped.

 

“The hell I can’t! I’m a Captain!” With that he jumped from the plane.

 

-/-

 

Sneaking in was easier than Steve thought it should be, as was releasing the prisoners. Once he had several cages open he stood in the crowd of men, “I’m… Captain America.” He told them, and immediately followed it up with, “I’m looking for a Sergeant James Barnes or a Doctor Will Barnes.”

 

A man who Steve would learn later was called Dum Dum Dugan looked at him, “Serge and Doc were taken by the scientist. It’s an isolation ward, but no one’s ever come back from it.”

 

Steve sighed, “All right. The tree line is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find.”

 

“Wait, you know what you're doing?” Another one, Gabe Jones called to him.

 

Over his shoulder Steve called, “I’ve knocked out Hitler over two hundred times!” It took him a lot of turns to find the pathway that looked like it led to another chamber. He watched as Zola darted out of the corridor and down the road.

 

"Sergeant. 32557…” Someone was whispering.

 

Steve plowed through the door, he found Barnes strapped to a stretcher, hanging over him, tangled in on herself he found Will, her hair a mess, and her body bruised and dirty. “Oh, my God.” Steve whispered, he moved first ot Bucky, “Bucky?” He moved to unstrap him from the chair.

 

“Is that..” Bucky wheezed.

 

“IT’s me. It’s Steve.” Steve whispered.

 

“Steve?” Bucky whined as Steve set him up and reached for Will.

 

“Will?” Steve hissed.

 

Her eyes, bloodshot, and blacked, met his. “Steve.” She grinned, her lips chapped and gums pale. He wrenched the cage open and caught her as she tumbled forward.

 

“Come on.” Steve urged them both, moving to hold Will around her waist, and Bucky under his shoulders.

 

“Steve.” Bucky said more declaratively, now that his vision wasn’t swimming.

 

“I thought you were both dead.” Steve whispered, kissing both their temples and herding them out of the room.

 

Bucky and Will clung to each other as Steve pulled his shield up. “I thought you were smaller.”

 

“I told you.” Will moaned.

 

“Come on!” Steve ushered them.

 

“What happened to you?” Bucky questioned.

 

“I joined the army.” Steve muttered.

 

“Did it hurt?” Bucky wondered.

 

“A little.” Steve assured him, a causal smile over his shoulder.

 

“Is it permanent?” Buck asked next.

 

“So far.” Steve managed, knocking another Agent down, as the pair behind him clutched to each other and trailed him. Around them and above them the building swayed with explosions.

 

Steve had to lead them back the way he had came, which ran them head long into Johann Schmidt and Zola. Bucky and Will crowded more together at seeing them. “Captain America! How exciting! I'm a great fan of your films. So Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive.” Steve punched him in the face.

 

“You’ve got no idea!” Steve called out.

 

“Haven’t I?” Schmidt challenged, he swung to hit Steve, but Steve pulled the shield up to protect himself. As they fought, Zola pulled a leaver behind Schmidt on the catwalk, it started to retract, on either side. “No matter what lies Erskine told you, you see I was his greatest success!” He peeled the skin off his face, revealing a red toned skin.

 

“You don’t have one of those do you?” Bucky muttered, weakly, Will was clutching him tight to her side, barely standing, her feet bare on the concrete.

 

Schmidt grinned, “You are deluded, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly, without fear!”

 

Steve puffed his chest forward, “Then how come you're running.” Steve demanded, Schmidt and Zola took off in a run. Steve looked back at both Barnes. “Come on, let’s go. Up.” Steve helped Will over the railing first, “Go on, brat, walk across.” He ordered, motioning at the beam, she took off in a run, sprinting across the heated metal as fast as she could, using the last of her energy to slide into place. Then he helped Bucky over.

 

Bucky made it halfway when fire lapped up at him. “One at a time, come on, Buck!” Bucky darted forward, as the gantry dropped. Will caught his hands and hauled him up.

 

“Gotta be a rope or something!” Will shouted to Steve.

 

‘Just go! Get outta here!” Steve screamed back as the fire grew taller.

 

“No! Not without you!” Bucky screamed.

 

Steve backed up as much as he could before he ran and lept.

 

-/-

 

They found some boots on a dead soldier for Will, then rounded up some spare clothes among the troops. She couldn't walk far, she’d lost too much strength, and was hungry. Steve carried her on his back most of the walk home, Bucky beside him, as her head lulled against his shoulder. The others had a new mission, it seemed, following Captain America.

 

-/-

 

Philips had not stopped glaring at Peggy or yelling at her, alternatively he was also shooting Stark looks of utter contempt and betrayal. “Well, I hope that’s a big comfort to you when they shut the division down!” Philips snapped, as several men were running and talking excitedly past the tent, “What the hell’s going on out there?” He snapped as they followed the crowd.

 

Steve Rogers, with Bucky Barnes on one side and Will Barnes on his other, and almost every missing member of the one-oh-seven. Steve saluted Philips, and followed it up, “Some of theres men need medical attention.”

 

“Medic, we got wounded.” Someone shouted not far from them.

 

“OVER HERE!” The medic called and waved them over.

 

“I’d like to surrender myself for disciplinary action.” Steve hummed, and offered his wrist up.

 

“That won’t be necessary.” Philips sighed, exasperated.

 

“Yes, sir.” Steve smiled, then looped his arms around both Bucky and Will.

 

“Faith, huh?” Philips snorted as he walked by Peggy, who only seemed to have eyes for Will.

 

“You're late.” She huffed at Steve, but her eyes remained locked on Will.

 

“Couldn’t call my ride.” Steve responded, and handed her the shot tech.

 

Bucky snorted, “Hey!” He captured all their attention, “Let’s hear it for Captain America!”

 

-/-

 

London became their temporary home, with Stark housing them in one of the nicest hotels they’d ever seen. Steve had his own room, sure, but he prefered to crash in the room the Barnes’ shared. Often, he’d find them curled up or in on themselves, bodies coiled.

 

He spent most of his time working at the Allied HQ. “The fifth one was here in Poland, right near the Baltic.” He marked the map, “And the sixth one was… about here, 30, 40 miles west of the Maginot Line.” He handed the map off, “I just got a quick look.”        

 

“Well, nobody's perfect.” Peggy hummed.

 

Steve looked at the topographical map, “These are the weapon factories we know about. Sergeant Barnes said that Hydra shipped all the parts to another facility that isn't on this map.”

 

“Agent Carter, coordinate with MI6. I want every Allied eyeball looking for that main Hydra base.” Philips huffed.

 

Peggy raised an eyebrow, “What about us?”

 

“We are gonna set a fire under Johann Schmidt’s ass. What do you say, Rogers? It’s you're map, you think you can wipe Hydra off it?”

 

“Yes, sir. I’ll need a team.” Steve hummed.

 

“We’re already putting together the best men.” Philips offered.

 

Steve made a sot noise of disagreement, “With all due respect, sir, I’m putting a group together.”

 

-/-

 

Steve hadn’t thought it would be that easy to convince them all to join him, yet in a low end bar on the backside of London, still smoldering from recent bombings, Junior Jupiter, Jim Morita, James Montgomery Falsworth, Gabe Jones, Jacques Dernier, Happy Sam Sawyer, and Pinky Pinkerton agreed to follow him back to the gates of hell - as long as he opened a tab.

 

He found Bucky, Will and Peggy in a corner booth. “What about you two?” He asked, as he slid in beside Peggy. “Want to follow Captain America?”

 

“Nah.” Bucky said, “I’d follow that little kid from Brooklyn, though.” He offered Steve a serious smile, and looked at Peggy, “You best take care to take care of Will, you understand?”

 

Peggy flushed, “I’m not sure I understand what you're talking about, Serge.”

 

“Sure you do.” Will hummed, and reached across the table, linking their hands together.

 

Peggy smiled at her, and looked to Steve, “Stark wants to see you first thing in the morning.”

 

“I don’t wanna talk about war.” Steve declared, as the barkeep brought another round to them.

 

“We could talk about what happens when we go home.” Bucky declared. “Obviously Will is my wife.” He leveled a look at Peggy, “So we need to decide if it's here in the Queen’s country or back in New York. Upstate is pretty.”

 

Will snorted with laughter, “We can go wherever, once we are free.”

 

“Spoken like Lady Liberty!” Peggy snorted with the same laughter.

 

-/-

 

“Peggy!” The woman whirled to see Will looking at her, Will had her lopsided grin on even as she pushed the older woman into a closet, pressing tight against her. “You are hard to get alone.”

 

“You are a nuisance to me.” Peggy sighed, “What?”

 

“Oh, you know, I see a pretty woman, walking all alone… thought she might like some company.”

 

“So you pushed me in a clo-” Before she could finish Will had her arms around her neck, and her lips against hers, a steady pressure. Peggy kissed back, wrapping tight around Will, tight enough that they were chest to chest. When they broke apart, “You can accompany me anytime.”

 

When they poured out of the closet, giggling, and arms still around each other, they caught sight of Steve, with a blonde Agent pressed against him, Steve looked utterly debanched, and confused.

 

“Captain!” Peggy barked, making Steve and the woman part.

 

“We’re ready for you.” Will muttered, “If you're not otherwise occupied.” She snapped, annoyed, and turned, tugged Peggy’s arm, the paur walking away.

 

“Agent Carter! Will! Wait!” Steve looked from the blonde to his friends, then took off.

 

“Looks like finding a partner wasn’t that hard after all.” Peggy smarted.

 

“Peggy, that's not what you thought it was.” Steve tried.

 

Will however cast him a dark look, “We don’t think anything, Captain. Not one thing, you always wanted to be a soldier and now you are. Just like all the rest.”

 

Steve recoiled from Will’s words, and felt tears stinging at his eyes. “What about you two!” Steve challenged. “What about you and Stark? How do I know you two haven’t been… fonduing?”

 

Peggy whirled, and leveled him a look. “You still don’t know a bloody thing about women!” With that she stormed off and Will shoved into Stark’s lab.

 

Stark watched Will as she stalked through the room, then looked at Steve, “Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend”

 

“Really? I didn’t think…” Steve pouted.

 

“Nor should you, pal. The moment you think you know what's going' on in a woman's head, it's the moment your goose is well and truly cooked. Me, I concentrate on work. Which at the moment is about making sure you and your men do not get killed. Carbon polymer.” Stark motioned to a piece of cloth lying on the table ahead of them as he led Steve into the lab. “Should withstand your average German bayonet. Although Hydra's not going to attack you with a pocket knife.” Then he looked back to Steve, and motioned to his shield. “I hear you're uh...kinda attached?”

 

“It’s handier than you might think.”

 

“I took the liberty of coming up with some options.” Howard moved out of the way so Steve could look at the table. “This one’s fun, she’s been gitied with electrical relays, it’ll allow you to…”

 

“What about this one?” He picked up a round silver shield.

 

“No!” Howard exclaimed, “No! That’s just a prototype.”

 

“What’s it made of?” Steve asked, curious.

 

Howard looked him over. “Vibranium. It’s stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It’s completely vibration absorbent.”

 

“How come its not standard issue?” Steve questioned, still eyeing the shield.

 

“That’s the rarest metal on earth. What you're holding there? That’s all we’ve got.” Howard explained, as both Peggy and Will turned.

 

“You quite finished, Mr. Stark? I’m sure the Captain has some unfinished business.” Peggy snapped.

 

Steve held the shield up and looked between them, “What do you think?” Will gave him a twisted smile, as she grabbed a pistol, the move copied by Peggy, the pair raised the guns in sync, and fired six shots each, Steve held the shield up to protect himself.

 

“Yes. i think it works.” Will gave him the same offhanded smile, as she placed the gund on the table and walked away. Peggy followed her, leaving Steve and Howard looking after here.

 

“I’ve got some ideas about the uniform.” Steve pressed a piece of paper to Stark’s chest.

 

“Whatever you want, pal.” Howard hummed, covering Steve’s hand on his chest.

 

-/-

 

They didn’t talk about it, Will and Steve, as they took off with the rest of the Commandos. Steve knew with certantiy that she hadn’t mentioned it to Bucky, although Peggy continued to give him sour looks. For the next four months they took out every Hydra base the could, sometimes with reporters recording them, sometimes in the dead of night.  

 

It was forgotten as the Commandos moved further out from London, with Peggy no longer traveling with them. If it bothered the other Howlers that Steve and the Barnes’ bunk'd down together no one said anything, Dum Dum did occasionally point out that they were ‘family’ and that ‘family stuck together’ but no one seemed to question it.

 

-/-

 

With the last base in their sights, they had one opportunity to hit Zola and by extension Schmidt before whatever he was planning could come to fruition. They were standing on a snow covered mountain, looking over a railroad track below, with the Italian Alps woven around them. “Remember when I made you ride the cyclone at Coney Island?”

 

“Yeah, and I threw up?” Steve turned to look at Bucky.

 

“This isn’t payback, is it?” Bucky gave him a wildly flirtatious smile.

 

“Now why would I do that?” Steve winked at him, as Will settled in front of him, hooking her equipment up.

 

“We were right.” Gabe joined them. “Dr. Zola’s on the train. Hydra dispatcher gave him permission to open up the throttle. Wherever he’s going, the must need him bad.”

 

Falsworth whistled low, “Let’s get going, because they’re moving like the devil.”

 

“We only got about a 10-second window. You miss that window, we’re bugs on a windshield.”

 

“Mind the gap!” Falsworth ordered.

 

“Better get moving, bugs!” Dum Dum teased.

 

“Maintenant!” Dernier ordered, Will lept, followed by Stee, Bucky, then Gabe, all wheezing through the air onto the train. Will dropped easily, Steve a little off kilter, Bucky with an easy dismount, he had to catch Gabe at the last moment.

 

Running along the roof, they broke up, Steve and Bucky moving ahead, while Will and Gabe took up the rear. Easily they dropped into the cars. As guards rushed them, the four danced around each other. Will had been picked for the mission simply for her size, she could maneuver around the big men, and slide under them as they needed to.

 

Steve knocked a guy off Bucky, who gave him a lopsided grin and said, “I had him on the ropes!”

 

“I know you did!” Steve smiled as Bucky picked the shield up, Will a beat behind him, “GET DOWN!” Steve shouted as an agent with a blaster of sorts appeared, and fired a round.

 

To Steve it happened in slow motion, on second Bucky was there, with Will behind him, using the Shield to protect the pair of them from the blast, the next, Will was hanging off the train, Bucky with her, and his shield on the floor. Steve darted forward as Bucky pulled Will over him, “Give me your hand!” Steve yanked her back onto the train, then moved to the side, climbed out, “Bucky! Hang on!” He stretched his fingers out, “Grab my hand!” Bucky tried, his eyes wide and his grasp hopeful, then the train jolted, and Bucky fell.

 

Steve wasn’t sure who screamed, him or Will. But the pair of them both cried out in loud angry noise. Gabe was there, grabbing them both, and herding them forward.

 

-/-

 

London looked darker, more dreary in the hours, days after Buck’s death. The city had been destroyed in part by bombs, the little bar where the Commandos had been built was just a hull of its former self. Steve was sitting at a table, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. Will was laying on the bar, her red hair now darker like blood, as it tumbled over the edge, her arm dangling down, with a bottle of vodka in it.

 

As Peggy slipped in, Steve looked up at her. “ Dr. Erskine said that... the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would effect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means um...I can't get drunk. Did you know that?”

 

Peggy looked at him thoughtfully, then at Will. “You're metabolism burners for times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects. What about Will, she’s drunk?”

 

“Nah, she could always hold her liquor better than us - Scotch Irish and German.” He looked at the bottle in his hands.

 

“It wasn’t your fault.” She almost whispered, Will made a startled bark of a laugh.

 

“Did you read the reports?” Will demanded.

 

“Yes.” Peggy nodded.

 

“Then you know that’s not ture.” Steve hummed.

 

Peggy would never be able understand how they worked, it was like a continuous circuit, where one ended the other one started, except now… now a key piece was missing, something was disrupting the flow of energy. “You did everything you could. Did you believe in Bucky? Did you respect him?” Steve gave her a sharp look, Will hadn’t moved since her laugh, “Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it.”

 

“I’m goin’ after Schmidt.” He looked at Will. “We aren’t gonna stop till all of Hydra is dead or captured, right brat?”

 

“You got it, punk.” She still didn’t move.

 

Peggy looked between them, “You won’t be alone.” She promised.

 

-/-

 

Schmidt’s base loomed ahead of them, the past behind them too much to think about. Everything they had made, everything they had fought for… left in the Italian Alps that now held Bucky’s body hostage.

 

“Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house. He thinks he’s a God. He is willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the USA.” Philips started.

 

Howard spoke next, somber, “Schmidt’s working with powers beyond our capabilities. He gets across the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire eastern seaboard in an hour.”

 

“How much time do we have?” Gabe asked.

 

Philips grinned, “According to my new best friend, twenty four hours.”

 

“Where is he now?” Dernier asked, cautiously looking at Will, who was uncharacteristically silent and Steve whose face was stoney.

 

“Hydra’s last base is here.” Philips pointed at a base, “In the Alps. Five hundred feet below the surface.” He continued.

 

“So, what are we supposed to do. I mean, It’s not like we can just knock on the front door.”

 

“Why not?” Will asked.

 

“That’s exactly what we are going to do.” Steve hummed.

 

-/-

 

Steve on one motorbike and Will on the one Bucky used to ride, the pair raced through the woods, weaving in and out of Hydra soldiers, and catching their attention, leading them, herding them, as soon as they cleared clumps Dum Dum blew them up.

 

Of course, all joy rides had to end.

 

It took eight Hydra soldiers to hold Steve down.

 

Four to hold her down.

 

Then they were carried into Schmidt’s lab. “Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say you do it better than anyone. But there are limits to what even you can do, Captain. Or did Erskine tell you otherwise? And you brought my toy back.” He ran a hand down her face. “Where is my other one?”

 

“Dead.” Steve snapped. “Erskine told me you were insane.”

 

“Ah. He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine. But he gave you everything. So, what made you so special?” Schmidt asked, curious, as he circled them.

 

Steve watched the way Will watched him, fear in her bright eyes. “Nothin'. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn.” Schmidt punched him in the jaw, then hit him in the gut. “I can do this all day.” Steve promised as the blows kept landing.

 

“Oh, of course you can. Of course. But unfortunately I am on a tight schedule.” Schmidt pointed his gun directly at Steve.

 

“So am I!” The other Commandos swooped in, through the windows.

 

Falsoworth grinned, “Rogers! You might need this!” He tossed Steve his shield as he pulled Will to her feet and helped her out of her binds.

 

“Thanks!” Steve waved, before taking off, Will a beat behind him, guns drawn.

 

Steve could hear so much commotion in the communication device in his ear. “We’re in! Assault team go!” Jim ordered.

 

Around them the whole base erupted into chaos.

 

They skid around a corner, as a Hydra soldier launched himself at Steve, Will kicked the man backwards, as Peggy leveled a flamethrower at his head.

 

“You're late.” Steve teasked Peggy.

 

She raised an unimpressed eyebrow, “Weren’t you about to…”

 

Will gave her a chaste kiss as Steve nodded, “Right!” The pair took off after Schmidt, neither were fast enough to catch the plane. A beat later both Philips and Peggy arrived in a sleek black car. Steve grabbed Will, tossing her into Peggy, then leapt onto the front of the car, “Keep it steady!” He ordered as Will clambered up behind him. Peggy caught her arm.

 

“Wait!” She hauled Will back down, and kissed her full on the mouth, “Go get him.” She patted Steve’s arm.

 

“I’m not kissin’ either of you!” Philips shouted as both looked at him

 

Steve waited for her to climb on his back, before he jumped.

 

-/-

 

Inside the Valkyrie there were multiple fighter planes with targets written on them. “Boston, Chicago, New York.” Will ran her hands over them.

 

A man tried to drop out of the deck in the Chicago plane, but Will caught the tail end, and pulled hard, praying that whatever Zola had done to her worked. Steve had lept out after the plane headed for New York.

 

By the time he made it back on, Will was dragging herself along the railing, blood streaming from both ehr mangled legs, both the Chicago and Boston planes disabled, the drivers dead. Steve gave her a long look. “Go, take care.” She ordered him. “Come get me when you're done.”

 

Steve nodded at her and took off, as he slid into the cockpit, Schmidt looked at him, “You don't give up, do you?”

 

“Nope.” Steve assured him, as he rushed Schmidt.

 

The pair traded blows, until Schmidt pulled far enough away to taunt him again. “You could have the power of the gods! Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations! I have seen the future, Captain! There are no flags!”

 

“Not my future!” Steve screamed, and flung his shield at Schmit, who hit the cubic console, the blue glow radiating around the room.

 

“What have you done?” Schmidt demanded, as he picked up the cube, energy resonated around him and seemed to pour from it, revealing a window in space. Pure blue energy poured from it, including Schmidt and erasing him from Steve’s sight. The cube dropped where it had been suspended, and burned through the floor.

 

A wet cough caught his attention as he peered down at the cube. “Will!” He called out, to see her dragging her form toward him, her purple winter cloak bunched under her. Steve pulled her into his arms, and wrapped her more tightly in the cloak. He kissed her temple as her teeth chattered.

 

“You get him?” She whispered as he settled her into the pilot’s seat.

 

“Sure did.” He promised, and smoothed her hair down, he gave her a ghosting of a smile before he turned his attention to the radio, “Come in. This is Captain Rogers, Do you read me?”


	4. Chapter Three:  The Avengers -or- Hallelujah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Will struggle with themselves, their relationship, their place in the world, and where they stand with SHIELD. 
> 
> The problem? 
> 
> Loki is after Earth. 
> 
> And what is Howie Jr.'s problem, anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marvel owns everything, except Will (she's mine). Any and all errors or misspellings are mine, I don't have a beta. So I plan on having the chapters posted about every two weeks. Next week look forward to Bucky Barnes return in Civil War.

**CHAPTER THREE:**

**THE AVENGERS**

**-or- HALLELUJAH**

 

_ All you sinners stand up, sing Hallelujah (Hallelujah) _

_ Show praise with your body _

_ Stand up, sing Hallelujah (Hallelujah) _

_ And if you can't stop shaking, lean back _

_ Let it move right through ya (Hallelujah) _

_ Say your prayers _

_ Say your prayers _

_ Say your prayers (Hallelujah) _

...Panic! At The Disco...

  
  
  


**"And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born--to fight the foes no single superhero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, but their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then--for now, the Avengers Assemble!"**

 

-/-

 

“I remember coming out here with you and Buck.” Will hummed, Steve’s arm around her shoulders. The long strip of sand, welcoming the saltwater, the pair of them walking in the shallows.

 

“You're like me.” Steve returned, “They did something to you.” He had known that for a while too, but saying it out loud always felt like admitting a truth Steve wasn't ready for. 

 

She looked at him, “They experimented on both of us.” She looked back out across the water. “Tony is scanning the mountain for Buck.” She nestled tighter to him, as the waves seemed to slow down, instead of crashing violently against their calves, it only wrapped around them. 

 

Steve stopped them. “This is too heavy.” 

 

“Yeah, it is.” With that she splashed him, and darted deeper into the water, kicking madly at the ocean.

 

Steve followed, splashing her back, eventually just catching her, as they ran through the waves, and drawing her into his embrace, just as a large wave crashed over them both. When they surfaced both were laughing, and resumed their splashing war.

 

Tony, in his Iron Man suit, landed on the beach up from them, and sighed. “I don’t know how much water AND salt those legs can handle!” He called out, irritated.

 

The pair swam back to shore, and ran up the beach to Tony, “Did you need something?” Will asked.

 

“I wanted to see how you're legs are, how you're adjusting.” He muttered, eyes not meeting Steve. They hadn't hit it off, but to a point neither had Steve and Howard. Too much like oil and water to mix. Will could see small glimmers of Howie Stark inside his son, but not enough to be reassured that he mentioned well. 

 

She rolled her shoulders, “I’m fine.” She assured him. “I’ll clean the legs real good when I get back to the hotel, promise.” She kept them spotless when she could. 

 

Tony didn’t look impressed, “I was also asked by Fury to drop this off.” He handed her a file, “IF you wanted to annul your marriage to Barnes, it could happen on the grounds that you only did it to protect Steve.”

 

She barked out a bitter laugh, as a slight breeze made her shiver. “I’d prefer to stay married to a ghost.” With that she stalked away, Steve glared at Tony before following her. 

 

“Hold up, brat!” Steve caught her, “Let’s get cleaned up and go see Becca?”

 

She gave him an uneasy look. “Ok.” They didn’t have a real home yet, they couldn’t afford Brooklyn and they had no plans of staying with S.H.I.E.L.D. 24/7, they’d looked at a couple houses, a couple one rooms, but none of them had fit them. 

Steve led them to the hotel they were staying at, and turned the warm water on in the shower. “Come on, kid.” He ordered, as she peeled the blue jeans off her metal legs, standing under the spray, he used the motor based oil cleanser Tony had given her, scrubbing them until they shined, then helped her climb back out. They got dressed, quickly.

 

Becca Barnes had become Becca Jones in 1949, she’d married a former one-o-seven soldier, who hadn’t been close to the Howling Commandos but had been liberated by Steve, when he’d found Bucky and Will. 

 

“I wondered when you’d stop in.” Becca was bent over with age, and wrinkled, “Don’t keep me waiting.” She grumbled before ambuling back into the living room. 

 

“Hey sis.” Will teased as she dropped onto the couch next to Becca, the younger woman laying her head against Will’s shoulder. Will, like she had most of her life, ran a hand through Becca’s now silver hair, and hugged her. 

 

“Steve, you look bigger. And Will, are you still sixteen?” 

 

“We haven’t figured out how aging works, yet.” Steve offered. “As you know, now, we never were drafted.”

 

“Mom and I already knew that. Erskine stopped by to have her sign as you're responsible party on the off chance you all died the Army would be able to pay us condolences.” Becca hummed. “I kept all your stuff.”

 

“You moved into the Barnes house.” Steve whispered, his eyes wondering over the familiar layout.

 

“Mom left it to me.” She explained, “After Buck… after all of you, she sort of withered… eventually she killed herself.” Becca snuggled tight to Will. “And seeing you back, both of you, is there a chance Bucky’s…”

 

“Yes.” Will said without thinking about it. “I mean, I shouldn’t have lived, but the scientist who was keeping us - Zola, in Germany, he injected both myself and Bucky with a serum he thought would make us like Steve.” She laid her head atop Becca’s, “I didn’t think it woke until my legs were blown off. And I realized that if anyone found Buck, and of the enemy…” Her voice choked, and she shook her head, letting the thoughts float away. “We will find him, Becca.”

 

“Thank you, Will.” She moved enough to kiss Will’s cheek, then looked at Steve. “Carry me to my room, Steve, I need to tell you where all your belongings are.”

 

Will followed, the three talked late into the night, learning that Becca’s husband had died ten years before, and she’d held on to what she had left, only a daughter, who had three kids, somewhere in Minnesota. All the boxes they had packed, all the memories they had stashed, were packed away in her closet. “When I go, this house will be yours Will. The only Barnes left standing.” The thought cast a somber feeling through the house.

 

When they left at four in the morning, it was holding four boxes apiece, and after careful consideration, they had to flag down to separate taxis, to take them back to the ferry for Fire Island. 

 

-/-

**“The Tesseract has awakened. It is on a little world. A human world. They would wield its power… But our ally knows its workings as they never will. He is ready to lead. And our force, our Chitauri, will follow. The world will be his. The universe yours. And the humans, what can they do but burn?”**

-/-

S.H.I.E.L.D.

PROJECT P.E.G.A.S.U.S FACILITY

NEW MEXICO

Per the normal, at least with these things, secret government facilities tend to be built in places normal, law abiding, nature avoiding humans would never go. As was the case with the P.E.G.A.S.U.S FACILITY in New Mexico, more accurately in a barren stretch of the desert. Most nights, the base was lights out by ten -at least on the ground level, but that night the whole of the place was in panic mode. Evacuation on a large scale was going on, with everyone rushing and packing, when a helicopter landed. 

 

Phil Coulson stood with his arms crossed, watching the helicopter land. A beat later, Maria Hill a fellow Agent with SHIELD dropped out, then Nick Fury, their director climbed out, together they stalked forward. “How bad it ist?” Fury asked, not slowing down as Coulson fell into step with him.

 

“That’s the problem, sir. We don’t know.” They could see hundreds of technicians and staff members rushing around them, pushing and shoving to get out. Phil Coulson looked at them again, eyes flickering between Maria and Fury, “Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago.”

Nick sighed, raised an eyebrow. “NASA didn't authorize Selvig to test phase.”

 

“He wasn’t testing it,” Phil paused, “He wasn’t even in the room. Spontaneous advancement.” They turned a corner and started down a stairwell.

 

“It just turned itself on?” Maria swallowed, hard. 

“What are the energy levels now?” Nick demanded, as they turned another corner of stairs. 

 

Coulson looked thoughtful for a moment, dread on his face, “Climbing. When Selvig couldn’t shut it down, we ordered immediate evac.” He didn’t wait for Fury to ask him how long the evac would take place, instead he responded, “Campus should be clear in the next half hour.” 

 

“Do better, Agent.” Nick ordered, Coulson nodded before breaking away from them. “Don’t start Hill, I need you to make sure the PHASE 2 prototypes are shipped out.” He ordered, continuing his downward walk.

 

“Sir, is that really a priority right now?”

 

“Until such a time as the world ends, we will act as though it intents to spin on. Clear out the tech below. Every piece of PHASE 2 on a truck and gone.” He ordered, and waved his hand. When he made it to the pressure lock doors, he entered his code quickly, and looked for the doctor of the hour, “Talk to me, doctor.” He grumbled as Erik Selvig appeared from behind a machine, eyes wide in concern.

 

“Director.” He offered, as the blue space cube glew brighter behind them, rings of similar celestial blue shooting out around it, as if orbiting it. 

 

“Is there anything we know for certain?” Nick wondered aloud, not taking his good eye off the cube.

 

“Tesseract is misbehaving?” Selvig didn’t sound convinced of his own idea. 

Fury glowered at him, “Is that supposed to be funny?”

 

“No, it’s not funny at all. The Tesseract is not only active, she’s… misbehaving.” Selvig explained, he looked equal parts concerned and exasperated.

 

“How soon until you pull the plug?” Fury asked, eye looking over the lab.

 

Selvig turned to look at Fury sharpley, “She’s an energy source. If we turn the power off, she turns back on. If she reaches peak level…” He stopped short, his face a mask of worry. 

Fury shrugged, always confident, “We’ve prepared for this, doctor. Harnessing energy from space.” 

 

As if Selvig could ever forget the very real reason why he was working for SHIELD in the first place, “We don’t have the harness. Our calculations are far from complete. Now she’s throwing off interference radiation.” He waved his hands in the air, irritated, “Nothing harmful, low levels of gamma radiation.” He offered at the look Fury shot him.

 

“That can be harmful.” Fury thought briefly about Hulk - Dr. Banner, then refocused, “Where’s Barton?”

 

Selvig clicked his tongue, “The Hawk? Up in his nest, as usual.” He pointed upward, where SHIELD Agent Clint Barton was sitting, in his full tactical gear, watching them.

 

Fury sighed, long and exasperated, “Agent Barton, report.” Ever the dramatic one, Clint repelled from the catwalk, gracefully, and walked to Fury, together they circled the perimeter of the room. “I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things.” Fury admonished him.

 

“Well. I see better from a distance.” Clint countered.

 

“Are you seeing anything that might set this thing off?” Fury asked, easily.

 

“No one’s come or gone. It’s oven is clean. No contacts, no IMs. If there was any tampering, it wasn’t at this end, sir.” Clint observed.

 

“At this end?” Fury quirked his good brow.

 

Clint looked at him as if he had a second head, “Yeah, the cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? Doors tend to open from both sides, sir.” Fury looked a him thoughtfully. 

 

Before Fury could respond, the Tesseract erupted, shaking the whole facility, the rings that had been hirling around it glew impossibly brighter, and curled magnificently, the energy crackling off them. The energy centered, and continued to build up, opening a fast moving vortex in the middle of the floor, then a whole portal to the other end of space.

 

Inside the portal, a black hole filled with mystical stars and whisp of comets bloomed to life in violent hues. A cloud seemed to wrap around the Tesseract’s energy, until it reached the top of the vacuum chamber ceiling. Silence fell, then a thud and heavy breathing. As the smoke started to clear, a man dressed in green with a horned helmet appeared in the fog. He gave a rather mischievous grin, and locked eyes with Fury, holding a scepter. 

 

Fury frowned, but held his ground, “Sir, please put down the spear!”

 

Instead he raised it, and released a swarm of blue energy. Half the lab erupted in chaos as machines were turned in on themselves. He advanced on Clint, who had shoved Fury out of the blast range. “You have heart.” He winked at Clint as he touched the scepter to his chest.

 

“This doesn’t have to get any messier.” Fury conceded, watching with wide eyes.

 

“Of course it does.” The man grinned. “I’ve come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”

 

“Loki? Brother of Thor?” Selvig asked, astonished.

 

“We have no quarrel with your people.” Fury offered, in a placating manner. 

 

Loki shot him that mysterious and mischievous grin again. “An ant has no quarrel with a boot.”

 

Fury glared at him, “You planning to step on us?”

 

“I come with glad tidings, of a world made free.” Loki promised. 

 

Fury folded his arms over his chest, “Free from what?”

“Freedom.” Loki grinned, eyes darkened, “Freedom is life’s greatest lie. Once you accept that, in your heart.” He whirled to face Selvig and placed his spear over his heart like he had with Clint, the doctors eyes glossing over, “You will know peace.”

“Yeah, you say peace. I kind of think you mean the other thing.” Fury looked upward to the ceiling, which looked closer to exploding than he liked.

 

“Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow. Drop a hundred feet of rocks on us. He means to bury us.” Clint spoke from beside him, eyes the same milky grey of Selvig’s.

 

“Like the Pharaohs of Odin.” Fury promised.

 

“He’s right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical.” Selvig quirked up from his other side, eyes eager.

 

“Well, then…” He inclined his head towards Clint, who raised his gun and promptly shot Fury in the chest. Clint grabbed the case containing the Tesseract and nodded to Loki. 

-/-

 

“DC?” Will whined, “Really Steve? You're like a dog with a bone - we just got out of the Army, now you what? Want to enlist?” She grumbled, as she carried another box of their belongings from the seaside hotel to the moving truck.

 

“If you are so against it why are you helping me pack?” Steve asked as he watched after the younger girl.

 

“Because if I trusted you to pack anything we wouldn’t have you're momma’s engagement ring OR you're pa’s family albums, remember Stevie! You wanted ta leave ‘uhm back in ‘43!” she called out irritated and slightly frantic. “And we both know, we are all each other has left.”

 

Steve wanted to glare at her, wanted to remind her she had the Barnes family if she wanted them, the gold band on her finger linked her to Bucky’s remaining family. Instead he nodded, in more ways than one she was right. “I know you don’t like Fury.”

 

“He’s garbage, Steve, we both know men worth ten ‘ah him.” She heaved another box into her arms and looked at him, “I ain’t yer butler ya know? Help a dame out, ya brute!” She shoved the box hard into his chest and frowned, “Never pictured us leavin’ Brooklyn if we ever made it home to her, that’s all.” 

 

“Doll, I think Brooklyn left us behind long before we ever left her.” Steve muttered as he moved out of the room and loaded the box up. 

 

SHIELD was created by Peggy, Agent Carter, their Pegs. If anyone was going to work for the company to bring about a greater good, it might as well be them - or at least that was the line of reasoning that Steve had sold Will. Actually, neither knew what to do with themselves now.

 

There was no war to fight, no immediate threat from Hydra, Stark hadn’t made any headway in finding Bucky - the only positive thing he had done was make her the titanium legs she now wore with stunted pride. She had Steve paint them in the moonlight, at least one a week - pictures from their old life. Plus the Smithsonian had countless belongings they were looking to give back to Captain America and Lady Liberty.

 

She hated the name.

 

He hated the name.

 

“They made us a weapon, and you are going to let Fury use us as such.” She almost shouted at him as he entered the house, this was a recurrent argument. “We… we used to be people.”

 

“We are people, just… more, now.” He couldn’t find the right words, and she didn’t really seem to care, as she folded himself into his arms, and cried. Steve rubbed her shoulders and held her to his chest, “We don’t know how to do anything but fight, honey.”

 

“I know, sweetheart.” She whispered, looking up at him with solemn eyes. “Let’s move to DC.” She hummed, “Let’s go save the world, again. You know, we did this song and dance once, and for what? People still hurt each other, rape is still a thing, no one can be themselves, they hide behind mask…”

 

Steve gave her a long suffering look before, pulling her back to his chest, “We have each other, and we know what the world was, once?” He ran his fingers over where her soulmark ran up her ribs. “We share somethings the past can’t take away.” He felt her brush his mark behind his ear. “It was an old idea then, just like we were - super soldiers in this century? They don’t need us, they just think they do.”

 

“Some things, my love, are better left dead.” She offered him, before grabbing her duffle and heading out the door. The statement left a lot hanging in the air between them, and Steve for the millionth time since waking up felt like he and Will were on the same page of different novels, a train wreck waiting to happen, the perfect storm before the lightning, a flame with too much gasoline. He felt the itch on his side, and looking down, he felt sick, blooming on his side was the inky black/brown of a soulmark that matched hers. 

 

-/-

 

The apartment was three time the size of the one they had back in ‘43, with even larger bedrooms and better heating. Pre-Serum Steve and Pre-Lab-Experiment Will would have jumped from bed to bed in excitement for hours. Instead, they moved quickly, pushing two beds into one room, and pushing them together, prepared to sleep long hours on them. 

 

The apartment had came furnished, so they didn’t unpack their boxes, instead they settled them all together in one closet, the room that housed their two beds, and turned the other room into a workout room. The kitchen came well stocked, and organized in a way that probably made sense to most people, instead they spent the first night in the apartment organizing it to their liking. 

 

The blonde who lived down from them had even brought them a welcome to the building cake and casserole. “She works for SHIELD.” Will had muttered after she left.

 

“She just said she was a nurse!” Steve countered.

 

“Steve. You are too naive for this world.” Will patted his cheek, before flopping down on the couch unceremoniously hard. He gave her a curious look, before dropping down next to her, laying his head in her lap. She racked her fingers through his hair, and hummed a forgotten song. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” Steve managed, before pushing up to kiss her lips, easily. “Tonight, can it be like old times.”

 

“All we have are old times, Stevie.” She whispered between them, before letting him wrestle her down to the floor, his body over her, bracketing her. “We should make memories to match the old.”

 

“You're not Bucky.” He whined.

 

“You're not Peggy.” She agreed.

 

They crashed into each other with a violence they normally reserved for the battleground.

 

-/-

 

SHIELD Headquarters

Analytical Room

 

Nick Fury was pacing in front of the monitors, every now and then he would face one as they spoke. The World Security Council looked back at him with irritation and concern. “This is out of line, Director. You’re dealing with forces you can’t control.” The first chair holder demanded. 

 

“You ever been in a war, Councilman? In a firefight? Did you feel an overabundance of control?” Fury asked, with an amused expression on his face. 

 

“You saying that this Asgard has declared war on our planet?” The man in chair one grumbled. 

Fury shook his head no, “Not Asgard. Loki.” He corrected.

 

“He can’t be working alone.” The second chair grumbled. “What about the other one? His brother?”

 

“Our intelligence says Thor is not a hostile. But he’s worlds away, we can’t depend on him to help. It's up to us.” Fury huffed. 

 

“Which is why you should be focusing on PHASE 2, it was designed for exactly…” Chiar one started.

 

Fury interrupted him with a raised hand, “PHASE 2 isn’t ready, our enemy is. We need a response team.”

“The Avengers Initiative was shut down.” The Third chair grumbled, voice irritated.

 

Fury sighed, “This isn’t about the Avengers.”

“We are running the world’s greatest covert security network and you're going to leave the fate of the human race to a handful of freaks.” The First chair snapped, emotions hot.

 

“I’m not leaving anything to anyone. We need a response team. These people maybe isolated, unbalanced even, but i believe with the right push they can be exactly what we need.” Fury’s voice held conviction. 

“You believe?” The Second Chair laughed.

 

“War isn’t won my sentiment, Director.” The Third Chair said, curtly.

 

“No, it’s won by soldiers.” Fury huffed. 

-/-

 

Washington DC, 2011

All-Night Gym

 

She watched Steve as he pumbled the punching bag, every swing a memory he was trying to fight off. Will was on the boxing ring, sitting against the ropes watching. Her mind its own whirlwind of memories, they’d been here once before. On a wild adventure when Bucky was a prize fighter, he’d fought on this very ground, or its predecessor. He’d won the big purse that night, knocking out some colored fellow from New Orleans. 

She didn’t have to ask what he was thinking about. It was their last two missions. The one that cost them Bucky, then the one that cost them their lives. She’d realized in the night his memories came back a lot more violently than hers - she’d already been living with monsters when they’d died. She could have choked on the PTSD, but she shoved it down. Each hit sent the bag ling off kilter, dust from the ceiling raining down on them. 

 

When he closed his eyes tight, he hit harder, until she was sure the bag was going to burst open, the hook flying in its grasp. His memories were haunting, something dark lining his life, but hers threatened to tear the very frayed fabric that held them both together. Will kept her and Bucky’s dark truths of Zola’s torture to herself, fear of what the truth after so much and so little time would do to the man before her. He didn’t need to know about the monsters under their skin.

The bag exploded, sand raining down on the ground, and the chain fracturing. He stood stone-faced, his breathing hard and his fist clenching and unclenching. He took a few steadying breathes before he moved, to pick up another punching bag, he hooked the bag over the chain, his hands already binding it closed again, and started hitting the bag with renewed aggression. Will moved around him, gracefully, sweeping the sand out of his way. 

The door jammed closed, as Fury came into view. “Trouble sleeping?” He asked, curious.

 

“I’ve slept for seventy years, sir. I think I’ve had my fill.” Steve grumbled.

 

Fury looked over at Will and raised an eyebrow, “If he ain’t in dreamland, I ain’t in dreamland. I go where he goes.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she clasped her hand over them, eyes wide. Steve looked at her, both excited and sad, tears threatening to fall.

Fury chose to ignore whatever was going on between them, unaware that she had said pretty much the same thing to Dr. Erskine the night before Captain America was made. “Then you should be out, celebrating, seeing the world.”

 

Steve stopped punching, and walked over to Will, holding his hands out, she instantly started unraveling the tape from his fist, as he leaned more into her. “I went under, the world was at war. I wake up, they say we won.”

 

“They didn’t say what we lost.” Will finished for him, eyes smoldering with anger and resignation as they landed on Fury. Steve hopped up beside her on the ring. 

 

Fury nodded his agreement, “We’ve made some mistakes along the way. Some very recently.” 

 

“You here with a mission, sir?” Steve bated him, even as he stood, pushed forward, and let Will climb on his back, her legs holding her up tight, and her arms around his neck.

 

“I am.” Fury didn’t bother to lie.

 

“Trying to get us back into the world?” Will asked, curious, and irrationally irritated. 

 

“Trying to save it.” He handed Steve a file, with a picture of the blue cube they both knew well, along with several other HYDRA intelligence files.

 

“Hydra’s secret weapon.” Will whispered.

 

Fury had stepped back, keeping a safe distance. “Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean while looking for you two. He thought, what we think, the Tesseract could be key to unlimited sustainable energy. And that my friends, is something the world sorley needs.”

 

“Who took it from you?” Steve demanded.

 

“We aren’t your friends.” Will snapped at the same time.

 

“He’s not from around here. They call him Loki. There is a lot we will have to bring you both up to speed on if you are interested. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know.”

 

“At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me.” Steve muttered, as Will continued to flip through the files.

 

“Ten buck says you're wrong. There is a debriefing package waiting for you two back at the apartment. Love what you’ve done with the place.” Steve chose to ignore him as he grabbed his punching bag, and Will pulled the backpack on, her still on his back. Steve started to walk out of the gym as Fury called, “Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract e ought to know now?”

 

They answered in unison, “You should have left it in the damn ocean.” 

-/-

 

“We are going to help.” Steve declared, then looked at Will expectantly, “Right?”

 

“Stevie, there are somethings you don’t know about the Tesseract.” She managed, her eyes never leaving the photos sprawled out on their table. “It was the power source for the experiments… on me and Buck, I don’t know if going after it is a good idea.”

 

“It made you a superhuman?” Steve wondered aloud. 

 

“Not just me, apparently, a lot of people over the years tried to replicate the formula, and the only highly volumized production was Hydras - with gamma rays as the substitute for the pure Tesseract power.” She explained, as she flipped through the package. “This initiative is insane. Two old superhumans, two trained assassins, the freaking Hulk - remember the big green monster thing? And Ironman, Howie’s son. All of us are ticking time bombs - put us together an…”

 

“But human lives are at stake.” Steve countered.

 

“Is that you or the Star Spangled Man with A Plan talking?” She snapped, irritated. “This isn’t our war.”

 

“If I say yes, what are you going to do? Stand by and do nothing?” Steve demanded.

 

“No, you punk, I’m going to fucking follow you - the end of the line, remember? Except it seems we’ve gone past that now.” She huffed, as tears streamed down her face, running in rivets down her eyelashes, to her folded arms, across her chest.

 

Steve paused, and balled his fist up. “Shit, Will.” Then he was hugging her for all he was worth. “You're right, but we can’t let them down, we were made for this.”

 

“You were made for this. I was made to be a weapon.” She growled back, shoving him off, full force. He flew through the kitchen table, and yelped in surprise, when just as suddenly she was standing over him, her eyes red and her teeth sharper. “Zola made monsters in his lab, Stevie.” She shivered before turning from him, “We can help, but… I need glasses to fix my vision, more. Maybe Tony’s done with the prototype?”

 

Steve watched her for a long moment, before shaking his head. After freeing her and Bucky they’d been off, he’d thought it was the torture, then the malnutrition, but they’d never shaken the hallowed looks. 

 

-/- 

 

Unknown Location

1943

 

“When I signed up no one told me I’d be doing so much damn marching.” Will grumbled, her steps in time with Dum Dum, ahead of them both Steve and Buck, almost shoulder to shoulder, marched through the deep snow. It had been eight long weeks since they’d started ‘Plan : Take Hydra Off The Map’.

 

“Not all dames complain all the time.” Bucky hissed back, tossing a casual smile over his shoulder.

 

Her response was lost as bullets sounded around them, the unit quickly scrambling to find a good location to hide, Will and Bucky shared a dark look, as they pushed Steve down to teh ground, both covering his head. 

 

He felt the cold when their touch left him, and looked up in time to see both of them crouched forward, before Will literally leapt off the ground, wings sprouting out of her back like a demon, and Bucky bending and cracking forward, bullets embedded in them, as both tossed their heads back and howled.

 

Will reminded him of the horror strips back in New York - the closest word he had for her was vampire, as she literally ripped a man's throat out. Bucky, in Steve’s dazed and slightly off kilter view, was a beast of a wolf, stark white against the snowy backdrop, he was almost impossible to see, larger than a normal wolf, as he batted a soldier's head clean of his body.

 

As the bullets and blast died down, Steve watched them both, the way Bucky pressed his head against her chest, and she cradled his form with her wings, both looking to Steve, with concerned and caged eyes. “He did this to you?” Steve whispered.

 

“Cap, they killed twelve men in a blink.” Frenchie sounded, somewhere between starstruck and concerned. 

 

“Is that?” Dum Dum paused, concerned, afraid to move closer.

 

Steve dropped his shield, and looked at the men, “It’s still Will and Bucky.” He took a calculated step forward. “Will, Buck.” He took another step. “I love you, no matter what.” Another step. “Please, come here.” Another step, he opened his arms and spread them wide, “Come here.” He pleaded.

 

The wolf moved first, shaking the wings of the pale stone like vampire off him, then prowled forward. Bumping his forehead into Steve’s, he let out a low whimper, which brought the winged creature gliding forward, Steve no longer cared they were covered in blood. The moment she stopped by Bucky’s front shoulder, he threw his arms around the wolves neck, and the stone vampires shoulders, drawing them both into him.

 

The wolf rested his head contently against the side of Steve’s, adn the vampire shoved her blood soaked face into his chest, ear over his heart, as it was beating loud and panicked.

 

-/-

 

**Washington DC**

**2011**

 

They loaded into the quinjet the next morning, early. Will still rubbing sleep from her eyes, as Steve tossed their meager duffle bag on the floor in front of the bench seat. Phil Coulson smiled at them both, and handed them identical cups of coffee and tablets, already geared up with ‘information about your fellow avengers’.

 

“We’re about forty minutes out from base, sir.” The pilot called back some time later.

 

Coulson stood from his co-pilot seat, and stretched before looking back at them both. Steve met his gaze with a weary expression, “So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?” His mind momentarily cycled through the previous nights argument. 

Phil nodded absentmindedly, “A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula.” On screen teh green beast adoringly called the Hulk roared with abandon as he slammed a jeep down then ripped it apart. 

 

“Him, I like.” Will pursed her lips as she watched him tear through another vehicle.

 

Coulson raised an eyebrow, but ignored her in favor of listening to Steve who was talking again, “Didn’t really go his way, did it?”

 

“Not so much, when he’s not that thing, though, guy’s like Stephen Hawking.” Instantly he realized his mistake, “He’s like a smart person. I gotta say, it’s an honor to officially meet you both.” They both looked at him with raised eyebrows. “I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping.” Will burst into stiffled giggles, tucking ehr smile into the crook of her elbow as Steve looked down. “I mean, I was…. I was present while you were unconscious from the ice.” Steve stood, ran a hand through Will’s messy hair, then approached Coulson. “You know, it’s really, it’s just a… just a huge honor to have you on board.” He looked between them. 

 

Will rose, and came to rest next to Steve, close enough she could feel Coulson’s body heat, and hear the off-kilter rate of his heart thundering. “Thank you, Agent.” She smiled at him, and stood on her tiptoes, leaned in and pressed a red lipped kiss to his cheek. “You, sir, are genuinely a marvel.”

“Well, I hope I'm the man for the job.” Steve hummed, as Will returned to his side.

Coulson nodded, excitedly. “Oh, you are. And you are absolutely the woman for the job.” He beamed at Will. “Uh… we’ve made some modifications to the uniforms. I had a little design input.”   
  
Steve looked at him, then at Will, the way her head tilted, like an animal sizing up prey. “The uniform? Aren’t teh stars and stripes a little… old fashioned?” He realized belatedly that Will had never had a uniform she had worn hand me down men’s clothes, and Bucky’s smallest tweed jacket, her hair always cut short and too blonde in the snow - so they’d kept it covered with a fur lined hat.

 

Phil looked thoughtfully between them. “With everything that’s happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned.”

The quinket started its descent then, Will hovering over the pilot to watch with curious eyes. They landed on a massive battleship, if she’d read the landing stip right it was called ‘Helicarrier’. Once the pilot had them safely parked, he opened the back ramp, all three exited, adn met Natasha Romanoff.

“Agent Romanoff. Captain Rogers. Doctor Barnes.” He motioned between the three of the.

 

“I’m fine with Private Barnes, actually. I was a field medic, not a real doctor. Bucky was a sergeant.” She hummed. Steve nodded, and looked at Natasha.

 

“Ma’am.” He dipped his head in greeting.

 

“Hi.” She smiled between them. “They need you on teh bridge.” She told Coulson. “Facetime.”

 

“See you there.” Agent Coulson darted away, leaving Steve standing between Will and Natasha. 

 

“There was quite a buzz around here, finging you two in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?” Natasha asked, a playful smiled on her lips. 

Will snickered, “They made trading cards with you're ugly mug on them?”

 

“He has some of you, Private Barnes, and Sergeant Barnes as well.” Natasha quirked.

 

“Trading cards?” Steve asked indulgently as he elbowed Will hard enough to make her stagger.

 

“They are vintage, he’s very proud.” 

 

Ahead of them the man Steve and Will now knew as Doctor Bruce Banner was standing, looking more like a caged animal than anything else. “Dr. Banner.” Steve greeted.

 

“Hey, Doc.” Will offered him a flirtatious wink. 

 

Banner waved at them both. “Oh, yeah. Hi.” He looked between them, almost starstruck, “They told me you’d be coming.” 

 

Will glanced passed him to the other parts of the helicarrier. She was a trained soldier and this place made her uneasy. She was blaming most of her unsettledness on the fact that they were working for Fury. “Word is you can find the cube.” Steve told Banner, his arm wrapping around Will’s shoulders, dragging her back against his chest, like he could read the animal part of her - fighting to come out. 

 

Like most people, Banner and Natasha chose to ignore the interaction. “Is that the only word on me?”

 

“Only word I care about.” Steve hummed, he understood the monster under the human flesh better than most. The beast he had tucked to his chest at the moment was more lethal than the Hulk in his opinion. 

 

Banner gave him a true smile, then, bright and friendly. “Must be strange for you, all of this.” 

 

“Actually this is kind of familiar.” Will huffed out, through a clenched jaw.

 

Natasha hummed as she listened to her earpiece, Will able to pick out the words, then Natasha spoke, “Gentlemen, Lady, you may want to step inside for a minute. It’s gonna get a little hard to breath.” The helicarrier shook under the stress of something firing below them.

 

Steve, Will, and Banner inched toward the edge, “Is this a submarine?” Steve wondered aloud.

“Really they want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?” Banner frowned, as lift fans mounted on to the sides of the carrier, and the whole ship hovered off the water, before lifting into the air.

 

“Oh, no, this is much worse.” Will hissed, stepping away from the edge, swaying on her feet. 

 

“Will?” Steve looked at her concerned, her eyes reddening.

 

“I read about her.” Banner stated, stepping forward. “That only happens when she needs to feed, right?”

 

Natasha made a startled noise, then looked at Will.

 

“Or when she’s stressed, or her adrenaline picks up.” Steve moved forward, until he could wrap his arms around her. “Its ok, nothing can hurt us here, ok? No need for the other you to come out, breathe.” Unsure if she was actually complying, he lifted her up, and felt pinpricks where her claws dug into his ribs, her grip hard enough to make him cringe, as he drug her towards the opening, Banner and Natasha following. “Almost inside.” He promised. 

Inside, the world was in chaos, organized to a degree, but she calmed down instantly, an shoved away from Steve. Inhaling through her nose and breathing out her mouth, her hands planted firmly on her knees.  

 

Natasha stopped around her, and led them on into the bridge. They pushed the doors open, where Fury and the other SHIELD agents were working on making this thing hover. “Let’s vanish.” Fury ordered then turned to see them as they approached. “Captain, Doctors.” He smiled at them both. Steve and Will each pressed ten dollars into his hand. Fury grinned, then approached Banner, he extended his hand, Banner reluctantly took it. “Doctor, thank you for coming.”

Banner shrugged, “Thanks for asking nicely, So, uhm… how long am I staying?”

 

“Once we get our hands on teh Tesseract, you're in the clear.” Fury assured him. 

 

“Where are you with that?” Banner asked. Will watched the exchange, then looked around, Fury was watching Coulson, while Romanoff was looking at a computer image of a man. She cocked her head to the side and moved to step forward, Steve caught her wrist, and shook his head.  He couldn’t control her the way Bucky had back in the day, but he could make her follow him. 

 

“We’re sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops, if its connected to a satellite, it’s eyes and ears for us.” Coulson explained.

 

“That’s still not gonna find them in time.” Will huffed, Natasha looked at her surprised.

 

“You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?” Banner asked. 

Fury turned to look at him, completely serious, “How many are there?”

Banner gave him a rueful look, “Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'l rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?”

 

Fury looked to Natasha, “Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please.” She nodded, and stood.

 

“You're going to love it, Doc.” She promised as she led him away, “We got all teh toys.”

-/-

They ate lunch in the command room - Will named Fury’s bridge that. Huddled together, stretched over each other, with most Agent’s shaking their head, and wondering how the hell Captain America and Lady Liberty could be so openly cuddly, when one was a widow and the other was supposed to be a grieving man. 

 

“We got a hit. Sixty-seven percent match. Weight, crossmatch, seventy-nine percent.” Agent Jasper Sitwell called out, to the room.

 

Steve stood, just as Will did, looking expectantly at them. “Location?” Coulson asked.

 

“Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He’s not exactly hiding.” Sitwell offered.

 

“Captain, Lady, you're up.” They nodded at him, then headed to their quarters. 

-/-

Outside the German Art Museum the crowd rushed in its attempt to get away from teh strange horned man. As police arrived, he blasted their cars backward, flipping them over. “Kneel before me.” The crowd ignored him, and continued to attempt to flee. Several more of the men, clones appeared blocking the crowd, the all raised their spears, encircling the frantic crowd. “I said, KNEEL!” He shouted out, his arms spread wide as most of the crowd quieted and kneeled before him. “Is this not simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes you're life’s joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled, in the end, you will always kneel.”

 

The words seemed to resonate through the crowd. An elder man stood, ‘Not to men like you.”

 

The golden horned man grinned wickedly, “There are no men like me.”

 

“There are always men like you.” The german man countered.

 

“Look to your elder, people, let him be an example.” The man raised his scepter, the point glowing blue, with the intent of blasting the elder german with an Energy Beam, when Captain America’s shield blocked the blast, as Steve fove in front of the man, the energy blast rebounded, knocking the man in green on his ass, his golden helmet glinting under the streetlights. 

 

Steve stood up straight, as Will, her wings catching her, glided down next to him. Her own leather suit on her body, the back open to allow for her wings. “You know the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing.” 

“I remember that.” Will tone, “You kicked his ass Stevie.” She moved into a fighting position, legs spread apart, and fist raised. 

 

“The soldiers. A man out of time and a child bride tossed to the wolves.” The demigod grinned as he stood.

 

“I’m not the one who’s out of time.” Steve quipped back. 

Above them Natasha pointed the quinjet’s machine guns at him. “Loki, drop teh weapon and stand down.” 

 

Loki, the green clad demigod, raised his scepter and fired at the quinjet, Natasha moved enough the jet wasn’t injured, giving Steve the time to throw his shield at Loki, while Will kicked off the concrete, and flung her weight into teh shield. The shield, with ehr weight behind it, crashed into Loki, sending him backwards onto teh steps, as Steve drove forward, she kicked the shield back towards him, and shouted, “GET OUT OF HERE!” At the crowd in English, when no one seemed to move, she shouted, “RAUS HIER. JETZT.”

 

In another world, it would have bothered Steve how well German sounded on her lips, instead Loki punched him in the jaw, and sent him flying into the back of her, Will whirled, grabbed the discarded shield, and hurtled it at Loki, as he batted it away, Steve went for the right hook, only to be knocked on teh ground, scepter pointed at his head.

 

“Hey, bitch.” Will called, as she kicked off the ground, and flew into his middle, her shoulder connecting with his ribs, as they both tumbled head over heels backwards, landing sprawled against teh concrete steps. 

 

She was shuffling to get up, one of her wing’s webbing ripped. She forced herself to change, her whole body vibrating with the hum, as she became more human. “Kneel.” Loki ordered, as he towered over her, already she was fighting to her feet.

 

“Not today!” Steve knocked his legs out from under him. 

 

Over their communication pieces in their ears, loud music sounded - AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill” overrode their speakers. “Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?” Tony Stark’s voice sounded. 

 

Will and Steve looked up to the sky only after Loki did, as Tony soared down in his Ironman suit, he blasted Loki right back to the ground, before he touched down, and his suit seemed to quip every weapon he had. “Make your move, Reindeer Games.” Loki held his hands up in surrender. His armor melted away. “Good move.”

 

“Stark Jr.” Will greeted.

 

“Got those glasses for you, might keep you from getting your ass beat.” Tony offered her, “Captain.”

 

“Mr. Stark.” Steve responded.  

 

“It’s nice to see you again, Jr.” Will took a calculated step forward. “Now those glasses, are they like shade that will match me, or goggles?”

 

-/-

It was honestly too easy. When lightning scatter the sky, and thunder erupted, Loki’s face should have warned the others enough, but only Will seemed to be watching their captives face. She plopped down next to him, “What’s the matter, scared of a little lightning?”

 

Loki looked at her straight, his fear noticeable. “I’,m not overly fond of what follows. Not the lightning. A king.”

 

A new figure opened the ram and made a grab at Loki, Will caught the back of his shirt, as Thor jerked him out, Will free falling behind them, until her wings unfurled, and her glasses locked onto their movement in night vision. She weaved around the trees and followed them down. Behind her she could hear Ironman.

 

-/-

 

“Who was that?” Steve demanded.

 

“Another Asgardian.” Natasha explained. “Did he take Will too?”

 

He blinked, “She made a grab for Loki.”

“Doesn’t matter, if he frees Loki, or kills him, the Tesseract is lost.” Natasha called over her shoulder. “I’d sit this one out, Cap.” Natasha added.

 

“I don’t see how I can.” Steve muttered.

 

“These guys come from legends, they are basically gods.” She warned. 

“There is only one God, ma’am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” With that Steve leapt off the ramp into teh darkness of the stars. He threw his head back and howled, he felt Will before he saw her, strong arms on his shoulders, directing him back to the base of the mountain, then beat her wings high disappearing into teh dark. 

-/-

 

“Is everyone in this century so… rude.” Will stood, brushing the dirt from her clothes, her eyes landed on Loki, “You and your freaking need for power.” She grumbled, “You're dumbass brother just yanked me out a fucking plane and for what.” She snapped, as she moved closer, grabbing his upper arm. “I am not in the mood for shit, prince, let’s go.” She snarled and moved him away.

 

-/-

Thor and Stark - Ironman crashed into the forest, into each other, as Thor rolled them over, Tony was already trying to stand, but also cast a nervous glance towards the Asgardian God. He clicked the helmet over. 

 

“Don’t touch me again!” Thor growled.

 

“Then don’t take my stuff.” Tony snapped, back. 

 

Thor gave him an impish look, “You have no idea what you're dealing with.”

 

Tony quirked a smile at that, “Shakespeare in the park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?”

 

Thor, oblivious to the joke, “This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice!”

It took all of Tony’s strength not to roll his eyes. “He gives up the Cube, he’s all yours. Until then, stay out of my way…” He started to hed away, muttering, “Tourist.” Under his breath. The suits helmet covered his face, as Thor tossed Mjölnir, hitting Tony square in the back, Tony was flung into a tree. “Okay, new plan.”

 

-/-

 

“What are you laughing about, Loki.” Will grumbled as she dug her feet into the mud and continued to lead him down the mountain. Below them Thor and Tony were fighting, hitting each other and knocking themselves into trees. 

 

-/-

 

After a shock to the suit, “How much power we got Jarvis?” Tony asked.

 

“Power at 400% capacity.” JARVIS responded. 

“Well, how about that.” Tony mused, as he brought his hands up and fired. It pushed Thor to his knees, then they were flying at each other, until they were blurs against the forest backdrop.

“HEY!” Steve shouted, having just landed in the clearing, “That’s enough.” Both Thor and Tony crashed into the dirt. “Now, I don’t know what you plan on doing here.”

 

“I’ve come here to put an end to Loki’s schemes!” Thor shouted.

 

“Then prove it! Put the hammer down.” Steve ordered, he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes, aware that Loki under Will’s watchful eye was descending the stairs. 

“Um, yeah, no! Bad call! He loves his hammer!” Tony said worried.

 

Thor, lost his patience, then, and raised Mjölnir. Lightning richocted across the night sky. “You want me to put the hammer down?” He lept up into the air, and raised his hammer. Steve crouched down and held the shield above his head, pulling Tony with him, Thor brought the hammer down, just as Will whirled, and pulled Lokie to the forest floor, using her metal legs as a guard. Light exploded around them, reacting to the shield, and created a massive explosion. 

“Are we done here?” Captain America asked, a snarl on his lips.

 

Will had regained her footing and was stomping down the hill, “What the hell is wrong with people in this century!” She snapped, shoving past Tony and Steve. “You're brothers for god sake! Fucking talk about your feelings, and what the actual shit are you wearing?” She stood toe to toe with Thor, a violent look on her face, as the man looked down at her.

 

“Why did I not face this shieldmaiden? She looks formidable.” He huffed, just as she punched him in the jaw, sending him backwards.

 

“I got Loki, now let's get the hell out of here.”

 

“That Brooklyn accent.” Tony hummed, “Did she kiss her momma with that mouth?”

 

“My mother, god rest her, died when I was twelve. You're father was a good man, you are nothing but a little boy.” She growled, grabbed the shield off the ground where Steve had dropped it, clipped it to her back, then stalked to Loki, “Come on you idiot.” She snapped, once more wrapping his upper arm in a vice and dragging him toward the extraction zone Natasha was screaming about in her ear. 

 

-/-

 

On the Quinjet a second time, Steve and Will huddled together, her hand over his heart, pressing the dogtags he still wore around his neck into his chest. “Nokh ale dem mol, ir nokh trogen eyner fun mayn aun eyner fun zeyn.” Hearing the Yiddish takes him back to Brooklyn in the late 30s before his mother was sick. He untucked the tags from his shirt, revealing one with JAMES BARNES and one with WILLAMINA M. BANES.” 

 

He responded, then, in English. “You can’t die wearing someone else’s name tag.” Just as he caught the cord around her neck that held one of his name, STEVEN ROGERS engraved, with a dent where he’d one tried to use it to open soup, and JAMES BARNES on the second chunk of Metal.

 

“I hope he was right.” She whispered, her voice uneven. “I don’t like this, Steve, we are missing something.” 

 

-/-

 

Looking was escorted by SHIELDs first guard operatives, which were at ground level police. Looking, in handcuffs passed them all smiling broad. Banner raised an eyebrow at the demigod as he passed by the glass front lab. Banner jolted in surprise when Will tapped his shoulder. “Can you stitch me up, one rage monster to the other?”

 

“Sure.” Banner looked at the webbing between her fourth and fifth wing spines. He gingerly took the skeletal spines in hand as he looked the webbing over. “How often does someone come to me generally wanting actual help?” He wondered

 

“Probably as often as I seek someone other than Stevie out to do it.” Will confessed, Banners sharp eyes met her red ones. He nodded. “Something is off about Loki.” Banner nodded again. “I mean if catching bad guys were that easy Steve and I would have ended WWII before Bucky ever fell.” She muttered, uncaring. 

 

-/-

 

Nick Fury hated to admit it, but the only recruit that showed straight out of the gate promise was Will. She'd stuck on Looking, broke up a fight between Thor and her teammates and only sustained minimal injuries. He wondered if maybe she would be better in Project Strike Force. She obviously knew how to handle herself.

 

He shook the thoughts from his head and looked at Loki. The Asgardian was now standing in the large glass cell, held solely in the ship by hydraulic rigs. It was designed with Banner in mind, if he was being honest. A containment plan. The cells control panel was a decent twenty foot from the glass, on a catwalk. “In case it's unclear. You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass.” Fury tapped a sequence onto the panel, which opened the metal below the glass cylinder revealing what looked like land below, just very small land. “Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works.” Fury closed the hatch. Then pointed at Loki. “Ant.” He pointed at the control panel. “Boot.”

Looking offered him a smirk as he paced. “It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me.” He offered.

 

Fury hummed his agreement. “Built for something a lot stronger than you.” He confirmed. 

Loki’s smirk never faltered as he spoke again, “Oh, I've heard. The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?”

 

Fury gritted his teeth, then returned the smirk, as he walked closer to the glass. “How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill ‘cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did.”

Loki only looked more amused as he spoke again. His voice full of righteous conviction. “Ooh. It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is.”

Behind him Nick felt Will, her eyes calculating as she looked over Loki. Fury offered him a smile of his own, as he offered Will his arm. “Well, you let me know if Real Power wants a magazine or something.”

 

Will let him lead her away, the pair out of the chamber before she spoke. “Banner patched my wing up. Why did you want me to find you after?”

 

“A show of power, soldier.” Fury winked at her, and let her wiggle out of his grasp. “Loki needs to think we are in control. He knows we are chaos.” 

-/-

 

As a group they watched the feed. Will had surprised Steve appearing from the shadows. Back in the day they'd played good cop, bad cop, demon a lot. When the monitor blinks black, Steve looked around to see Thor, who looked equal parts broken and angry. Will pushed into the lab before Fury, her eyes already showing irritation. 

The silence stretched between them until finally Banner spoke, “He really grows on you, doesn't he?”

 

Steve shrugged, “Loki is gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?”

Thor looked around them, eyes finally lingering between Will and Steve. “He has an army called the Chitauri. They are not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract.”

 

“An army? From outer space?” Steve sputtered. 

His injection ignored as Banner spoke, “So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for.”

 

Thor looked startled, “Selvig?”

 

Banner offered him a soft smile, which held all the earmarks of a sorrowful life. “He's an astrophysicist.”

 

“He's a friend.” Thor countered, looking even more distraught with the news. 

 

“Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours.” Natasha explained, evenly. Her face not betraying how concerned for Barton she was, although Will could read it in her heart beat. 

 

Will looked at those around him.  “I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here.”

Banner shrugged, “I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him.”

 

Thor leveled him a sharp look, energy crackling at his fingertips. “Have care how you speak. Look is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother.”

 

Nat gave him a disgruntled look, “He killed eighty people in two days.”

 

Thor sighed, looking slightly displeased, “He's adopted.”

 

Banner frowned, he concentrated more thoroughly on what he did know. “Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?”

 

Tony waltzed in, “It's a stabilizing agent.” Coulson was beside him, he refocused on whatever previous conversation he had been having, “I'll fly you there. Keep the love alive.” Then he looked back at Banner. “Means the portal won't collapse in on itself, like it did at SHIELD.” He moved in an arching circle around them, “New prototype for you, Will.” He handed her a pair of glasses, she offered him a soft smile, then he turned his attention to Thor, “No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing.” Then he looked at them all. “Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants it.” He turned. To look over the crew, “Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails.” He zeroed in on a familiar screen, That man is playing GALAGA!” The man in question minimized the browser as Tony wiggle an eyebrow at him, “Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did.” He stopped his forward steps in front of Furys control panels, and covered his eye. He looked from screen to screen, “How does Fury do this?”

 

Agent Hill deadpanned, “He turns.”

 

Will snorted. Tony shuttered, and Steve looked even less enthused with Stark. “Well, that sounds exhausting.” He headed back towards the table most of the newly minted Avengers were settled around, sliding his hand along the monitors as h went, placing a hacking implant on one of the computers. “The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube.”

 

“When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?” Hill asked, incredulously. 

 

Tony sighed. “Last night. The packet, Selvig’s notes. Thanks extraction theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?”

 

“Oh I read it.” Will pulled a packet from her jacket front. “Didn't understand it, but I read the whole of it.”

 

Tony appraised her. “Cool, Morticia.”

 

“I don't get that reference.” Will snarled back at him.

 

Steve placed a large palm on her shoulder, “Does Look need any particular kind of power source?” He asked, seriously.

Banner looked thoughtful before he spoke, “He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier.

 

“Unless, Selvig has figures out how to stabilize. The quantum tunneling thing?” Will interjected.

 

“Quantum tunneling effect.” Tony corrected.

 

“Well, if he could do that, he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet.” Banner hummed, giving Will a look of adoration and awe. “I think you understood more of that packet than you gave yourself credit for.”

 

“Finally, someone who speaks English. And someone who is learning.” Tony gave Will a careful look, before taking Banners hand. The pair exchanged a mutual look or respect. 

 

“Is that what just happened?” Steve asked Thor who shrugged beside him. 

Tony held tight to Banners hand for a long moment, “it's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”

 

Will snorted, everyone around them looked on in either ashame or amusement. Banner looked down, “Thanks.”

“Let it be known I am also a closet fan of how teenage dream over there turns into a gargoyle like vampire and rips people's throats out when she's angry.” Tony mock whispered to Banner. “Nice work on those stitches.”

 

Will laughed, openly. “I'm a fan of Thor.”

 

Thor grinned, wholesomely at her. “This ShieldMaiden is a worthy opponent.” He clapped her on the back hard enough she stumbled forward.

 

The bridges doors opened to reveal Nick Fury waltzing in. “Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube.” He looked at Tony, “I was hoping you might join him.” Then he looked at Will, “It sounds like you might be helpful in that endeavor too.”

 

“Let's start with that stick of Loki’s. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon.” She suggested. 

 

Fury gave her a tense look, “I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys.”

 

Thor looked perplexed, “Monkeys? I do not understand.”

 

“That reference I get.” Steve smiled as he said it, sharing a look with Will who nodded. 

 

“Shall we play doctor?” Tony asked Banner.

 

“Let's play some.” Banner agreed, “You coming Will?”

 

“Wouldn't miss it for the world.” Will took Banners arm, the pair following Tony from the bridge back toward the lab. 

“I think you lost your ShieldMaiden.” Thor observed as Steve watched her disappear with a frown on his face.

 

-/-        

 

The lab was almost stolen as they worked. Banner continuously scanned with a gamma ray detection scanner on the scepter for radiation. Tony looked at his monitors, shifting and solving as many algorithms and equations as he could . Will was sitting on one of the counters, her eyes roving over a book in her lap, other hand sprawling out cursive ideas on a blank notepad.

 

“The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig’s reports on the Tesseract. But it's gonna take weeks to process.” He looked across at Will who was sorting through the various energy specific locations.

Tony looked thoughtfully at the screens before looking at them, “If we bypass their mainframe and direct a reroute to the Homer cluster, we can clock this around six hundred teraflops.”

 

“And all I packed was a toothbrush.” Banner muttered next to Will, she raised an eyebrow at him. 

Tony smiled. “Will has been to my lab. It's nice, right?” He waited for her to nod at him, clearly bored, before he continued. “You know, you should come by STARK TOWERS sometimes. Top ten floors, all R&D. I made her legs and corrective lenses there. You'd love it, it's candyland.” Tony suggested.

 

“Thanks, but the last time I was in New York, I know of broke… Harlem?” Banner ended with a questioning tone.

 

“I've seen the footage, it was so fucking cool. I watched you rip a Jeep in two. That is a mad party trick!” Will gave Banner a look full of mischief. “Just saying.” She added quickly when he looked at her with a frown etched onto his face. 

“Well, I promise a stress free environment. No tension. No surprises.” Tony jabbed him with a small electrical rod, making Banner jolt, his hand clasped on Wills thigh, hard enough to leave little indents on the titanium. Steve glared, as he entered, obviously having saw what Tony did, holding a bag of blood for Will. 

 

“Ow.” Banner rubbed his side and released Will, stepping away so Steve could pressed his back against her knees.

 

“Nothing?” Tony looked at him closely.

“Are you nuts?” Steve demanded as he passed the blood bag to Will, eyes smoldering as he glared at Tony.

 

Tony pointedly ignored him. “You really have got a lid on it, haven't you. What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?” Tony demanded, clearly fascinated. 

 

Steve clicked his tongue. “Is everything a joke to you?”

 

“Funny things are.” Tony still watched Banner, who had resumed his place behind the desk, going over gamma readings. 

 

“Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offense, Doctor.” Steve gave Banner the same half smile he would have give Will. 

 

“No it's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things.” Banners attention had moved to Will whos silence spoke volumes. She'd bitten into the blood bag, but was watching the room with calculating eyes. 

“You're tiptoeing, big man. You need to strut.” Tony pointed at Banner then looked thoughtfully at Will. “You too, princess, you can only be kept on a leash pulled tight so long before you lose your composure.”

Steve glared at Tony, “And you need to focus on the problem, Me. Stark.” Will froze, the insult heavy. She doubted toby knew it was an insult at all. Steve had never called Howard by his last name, refusing to because they were friends. He was the one who called him Howie first. 

 

Tony didn't seem phased, but Will was irritated, her clawed hand curling tight over Steve's shoulder as Tony spoke again, “You think I'm not? Why did Fury call us and why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables.”

 

Steve sighed, his eyes locked on Tony, “You think Furys hiding something?”

 

“He's a spy, Captain. He's the spy. His secrets have secrets.” He pointed to Will, “It's bothering your monster on a leash, and big man too.” he pointed at Banner. 

 

Banner looked startled, “Uh… I just wanna finish my work here and…”

 

Steve could understand Will’s blatant dislike for Fury, he'd used her as a pawn earlier to show Look his power over the 'chaos’ he had control of. But, looking at Banner he could see the truth in Tony's words. The doctor didn't look comfortable. At least not with Tony and Steve. He did seem at peace with Will. “Doctor?” Steve asked, tentatively and soft.

 

Finally Banner looked up, “A warm light for all mankind, Loki's  jab at Fury about the cube.” He waited, looking at Steve.

 

“I heard it.” Steve confirmed.

 

Banner pointed at Tony, “Well, I think that was meant for you. Even if Barton didn't post it all over the news.”

 

“The Stark Tower? That big ugly…” Tony made a wounded noise as Steve insulted his pride and joy, “...building in New York?”

 

“It's powered by Stark Reactor, self-sustaining energy source.” He read off Will notes. “That building will run itself for a year, right, according to your current projections?”

 

“That's just the prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now.” Tony bragged.

Will’s eyes widened as she dropped the now empty bag on the counter. “So, why didn't SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project. I get what Banners saying, I mean, what is an intelligence agency doing in the energy business in the first place?”

 

Tony looked surprised by Will. “You might be the brains in the Super Soldier Team after all. I should probably look into all that once my decryption programmer finishes breaking into all of SHIELDs secure files.”

Will gave Tony a sharp smile and head nod, while Steve looked taken aback. “I'm sorry, did you just say…?”

 

“Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours well know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide.” He produced a bag of blueberries from inside his jacket. “Blueberry?”

“Oh, yes please.” Will took a handful.

 

“I read that after you're depleted or after you feed fruit helps your stomach settle.” Tony smiled at her. “Banner?”

 

“Thanks.” Banner took some of the offered berries as Steve looked even more grumpy.

 

“Yet, you're confused about why they didn't want you around.” Steve grumbled, he raised his hand to show he didn't want any of the offered blueberries.

 

Tony shook his head, “An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not possible.”

 

Steve wondered if this is how Bucky felt ever time he tried to get Steve to see his point of view before the war. “I think Loki is trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war, and if we don't stay focused, hell succeed. We have orders. We should follow them.”

 

“Oh, Stevie.” Will grumbled. “I'm not a soldier anymore, neither are you.”

 

Tony grinned, “Following is not really my style.”

 

“And you're all about style, aren't you?” Steve grumbled.

 

Tony look d ready to explode, Banner glanced at Will, her eyes wide and turning pink. “Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you.” Steve seemed to think about it.

“Will, come on.” Steve grabbed her wrist loose enough she could twist out if she wanted to. “Just find the cube.” Steve ordered as the pair walked out, Will cast a starstopping smile over her shoulder at both Tony and Banner, winking exaggeratedly.

 

-/-

 

HELICARRIER

SECURE STORAGE

10-C

 

“Help me open this would you.” Steve muttered, looking at Will, she was uncharacteristically quiet, and that didn’t sit well with him. He liked his rambunctious blonde loud and vivacious. 

“Steve, I don’t like Fury - I don’t like Stark Jr., I don’t like any of this. I just want to…” She huffed. “You're right, the greater good or whatever.” She hummed, before planting her feet firmly against one side of the door frame, “Push it just enough I can…” Steve pulled the door toward him, making a small gap, she pushed into it, and used the titanium legs to force it the rest of the way open, together they stealthily climbed in.

 

“A warehouse inside a ship.” Steve hummed, as they looked around the hull. It had metal crates stacked, and at least two more levels. Steve jumped up, and held onto the catwalk railing, until she caught up and pulled them both over. 

Selecting a crate to open, Steve watched her pull bobbi pens out of her hair, and crotch low to the lock. The reason she was such a deadly commando was her ability to get them into literally anything. She pressed her ear to the tumblers and bit at her bottom lip, moving the pins until finally the lock popped open. “Ya got moxie, girl.” Steve rubbed her hair affectionately, as he popped the case open.

 

“The hell?” She hissed, “I know these weapons.” She bent down, and ran her fingers over them, cold metal, remnants of a life they had supposedly left behind. “HYDRA.” She hissed, as she picked on up, an old blaster which could be charged by the very cube that was sitting in Barton’s lab. 

 

“Why would they have these?” Steve growled out, in anger, as she settled the gun back against the padding, and took a heavy step backward. “This is…”

 

“HYDRA.” She nodded, looking at the next crate, not even waiting for Steve to give the command, she wrecked the lock open, “It’s all fucking HYDRA.” She let out a shaky laugh, “Do you think…”

 

-/-

 

Fury entered the lab to find the scepter on its own, with both Banner and Stark glowering at him. “What are you doing, Mr. Stark?” Fury demanded.

 

“Uh… kind of been wondering the same thing about you.” Tony hummed. 

Fury ignored the question, “You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract.”

 

“We are.” Banner assured him. “The model’s locked and we’re sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we’ll have the location within half a mile.”

 

“And you will get you're cube back, no muss, no fuss.” Tony added, just as his monitor showed a collection of secret files. “What is Phase 2?” He asked Fury, pointedly. 

Steve dropped a HYDRA assault rifle on the table, making all three men turn to look at him. “PHASE 2 Is SHIELD using the cube to make weapons.” Steve growled, his face was a marriage of rage and worry.

 

“Not just make them but repurpose HYDRA weapons.” Will dropped a blaster on the table. She looked at Tony, “The computer was taking too long.”

“Rogers, Barnes, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. That does not mean we are…” 

 

Tony stopped Fury, “I’m sorry, Nick.” He flashed his tablet screen around for all of them to see, very detailed layouts of the plains around the weapons, “What were you lying?”

 

Steve shook his head in anger, “I was wrong, the world hasn’t changed a bit.”

 

“The monsters just have new faces.” Will growled.

 

“That’s rich, I’ve seen your file, Dr. Barnes.” Fury snapped back, “I know about Zola’s little nickname for you, “kleiner Blutsauger.” She inhaled, her nostrils flared.

 

“Than you know what I can do to you.” She stepped forward just as Natasha and Thor entered the lab. 

 

“Did you know about this?” Banner waved his hand at the computer screen, eyes on Natasha. 

She didn’t even blink as she spoke to him, “You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?”

 

“Which doctor are you referring to?” Will hissed, her eyes behind the shades burning blood red.

 

“I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed.” Banner challenged, stepping closer to Will.

 

“Loki’s manipulating you.” Natasha said, her voice sternly. 

 

“And you’ve been doing what exactly?” Banner demanded, his skin a little green around the collar.

She gave him a rough look, “You didn’t come here because I batted my eyelashes at you.”

 

Banner nodded his agreement, “Yes, and I’m not leaving because suddenly you're a little twitchy. I’d like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction from HYDRA blueprints!”

 

Fury glared at them all, then pointed at Thor, “Because of him.”

 

Thor looked confused, “Me?”

 

Fury nodded, “Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned.”

 

“An underdog story? Stevie he’s sellin’ us a story right now, tell me yer not eatin’ this up.” Will snarled.

 

Thor just stood, calm, “My people want nothing but peace with your planet.”

 

Fury let out a dry laugh, “But you're no the only people out there, are you?” He  paused to look at them all. “And, you're not the only threat. the world’s filling up with people who can’t be matched, they can’t be controlled.”

 

“Like you controlled the cube?” Steve snapped, the need to fight itching under his skin, one look at Will told him she too was gearing up for war. 

“You're work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war.” Thor challenged. 

 

Will blinked at that, “A higher form?”

 

“You forced our hand.” Fury countered, “We had to come up with something.”

Tony snorted, “Nuclear deterrent. ‘Cause that always calms everything right down.”

 

“Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?” Fury quipped.

 

“I’m sure if he still made…” Will started.

 

“Wait! Wait! Hold on!” Tony started.

 

“Weapons he would be a bit more… careful.” Steve finished.

 

“How is this about me? Isn’t everything about Thor?” Tony growled.

 

Thor rolled his eyes, “I thought humans were more evolved than this.”

 

“Excuse me, did WE come to YOUR planet and blow stuff us?” Fury glowered.

 

Thor balked at him, “Did you always give your champions such mistrust?”

 

“Yes.” Will huffed, eyes meeting Thor’s.

 

“Are you all really that naive. SHIELD monitors potential threat list.” Nat muttered, “All of us are on one.”

 

“We are?” Will looked between her and Steve, and burst out laughing, it was coarse.

 

“You're on that list?” Tony muttered, a giggle rising from his throat. 

 

“I swear to God, Stark, one more…. Crack…” Steve flushed.

 

“Are you above or below angry bees?” Tony muttered.

 

“Would you like to find out where I size up?” Will purred.

 

Tony looked at her, alarmed, “I’ve seen you're footage, no thanks.” He muttered. 

 

Thor frowned, “You speak of control, yet you court chaos.”  

 

Banner let out a low noise, “It’s his MO isn’t it?” He looked at Will who nodded. “I mean what are we, a team? No, no, no. We’re a chemical mixture that makes chaos.”

 

“We’re a time bomb.” Will snapped, her whole body was vibrating with the need to lose control. 

Fury hooked between them, “You both need to step away.”

 

“Why shouldn’t the guy let off a little steam?” Tony asked tossing an arm over Steve, “Or the Freakshow vampire thing, she needs out, right? Hungry about right now?”

Steve shoved Tony off, “You know damn well why.” He looked at Will, noticed her eyes, then looked back at Tony, “She can control it better. Now back the fuck off.”

 

“Oh, I’m starting to want you to make me back off.”

Steve glared right back at Tony, “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?”

 

“Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.” Tony clicked them off on his fingers. 

Steve shook his head, “I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I’ve seen the footage.” He muttered. “The only thing you really fight for is yourself, you're not the guy to make the sacrifice pay, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.”

Tony wasted no time in retorting, “I think I would just cut the wire.”

 

Steve gave him a bitter smile, “Always a way out.. You know, you may not be a threat, but you need to stop pretending to be a hero.”

 

The moment the word left his mouth, Tony glowered at him, and Will let out a ragged breath. “A hero? You're a lab rat, Rogers, everything special about you came out of a bottle - and that little freak over there, Barnes, she’s an experiment that should have been put down. Before you got her and you're Bucky out, she ripped a guys throat out, with her teeth.” 

Steve stepped impossibly closer to Tony, “Put on the suit, let’s go a few rounds.”

 

“You people are so petty, and tiny.” Thor giggled, Tony moved away from Steve.

 

“Yeah, this is a t-” Banner started his gaze flickering towards Will.

 

“Agent Romanoff would you secort Dr. Banner back to his…” Fury started.

 

“Where? You rented my room.” Banner smirked, and crossed his arms over his chest. 

 

“The cell was just in case…” Fury started, intent to defend himself. 

Banner nodded, and gave them a soft laugh, “In case you need to kill me, but you can’t! I know! I tried.” Everyone paused to look at him. “I got low, i didn’t see an end, so i put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! So i moved on! I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here is at risk!” He narrowed his eyes at Natasha, the green dancing low on his collar. “You wanna know my secret. Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?”

 

Both Natasha and Fury drew their guns, as Steve looked between Banner and Will. “Doctor Banner, Doll, put the scepter down.” Will looked at her hand, confused to see she was holding one end, and that Banner had the center of it in his grasp. The computer beeps before either of them could thin, and they all turned to it.

 

“Got it.” Tony muttered as he moved to the computer.

 

“Sorry, kids. You don’t get to see my little party trick after all.” Banner released his grasp.

 

Will settled it back on the base. “Located the Tesseract?” Thor asked, softly. 

“I can get there faster.” Tony started.

 

“Look, all of us…” Steve started.

 

Thor cut him off, “The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it.”

 

Tony made to leave, “You're not going alone!” Steve shouted.

 

“You gonna stop me?” Tony shot back at him.

 

Steve still irritated sounded back, “Put the suit on, let’s find out.”

Tony grinned, “I’m not afraid to hit an old man.”

 

“Put on the Suit.” Steve ordered.

 

“Uhm, guys,” Will started from across the room, both her and Banner hovering over the computer interfaces, Banner let out a low whine, “Oh, my God.”

 

Before anyone could react, a blast knocked everyone off kilter. Steve, Fury, Thor and Tony were thrown across the divide, while Natasha and Banner fell into the lower equipment room, Will was tangled up in some of the lab equipment, as she pulled wires off herself, she heard Steve say, “Put on the suit!”

 

“Yep!” Tony hurriedly agreed, Steve pulled him up off the floor and out of the lab, Fury shot up and clutched at his ribs, he hurriedly pull this earpiece on just as Will made it to him and moved to jerk him off the floor.

 

“Hill!?!” He called into the communication device.

 

“Fury, we need to move.” Will snapped. “I can’t help anyone, if I don’t get you to you're nest first.” 

 

-/-

 

Emergency alarms danced around the ship, sounding loud and activating emergency protocols like fire extinguishers. Agents were scrambling around to get into defense positions, Agen Hill stood at the bridge, looking as calm and collected as she could. “Turn up that engine!” She shouted, “Number 3 engine is down, can we get a run in?” She darted across the room, “Talk to me?” She demanded of the man who Tony had caught playing Galaga earlier. 

“Turbines loose. Mostly intact, but it’s impossible to get out there and make repairs while we are in the air.”

 

She shot him a rueful look. “We lose one more engine, we won’t be. Somebody’s gotta get inside and patch that engine.” She stalked away, looking over the other Agent’s shoulders. 

 

-/-

 

“Stark!” Fury called into his headset, as he rested heavily against Will. “You copy that?”

 

Tony’s voice sounded back, “I’m on it.”

Fury relied heavily on Will, who had a gun drawn, and was holding him tight, when he spoke next, “Coulson! Initiate official lock down in the detention section then get to the armory! Move out!”

 

“On it sir.” Coulson sounded back.

 

“Couldn’t have put an elevator in when you designed this death trap huh? I remember elevators they were the new swell thing back in my childhood.” She growled, as she and Fury swayed with the catwalk they were crossing. “I hate you.”

 

“I hate you too, cupcake.” Fury promised her.

 

-/-

 

Both suited up, Tony and Steve darted through debris filled halls. “Find engine three. I’ll meet you there!” Tony shouted, as he blasted off. Steve waved him away and kept running.

 

“Will?” Steve asked, low.

 

“Sup, Cap?” She muttered, her voice sounded strainged. “Taking the boss home, then coming to kick ass with you, need me to do something?”

 

“Get sights on Loki, ASAP.” Steve ordered.

 

“Sure thing, boss.” She growled back, then his earpiece went silent. 

 

-/-

 

Fury liked how efficient Will was, she only took shots she knew she could make, and used her legs as a shield of sorts, he also liked how undeniably strong she was. As they hit the bridge, the helm was in complete disarray, Will skidded them to a stop, “Bring the carrier inwards and head south!” He rodered, “Take us to the water!”

 

“Why water?” Someone shouted, “Navigations recalibrated after the engine failure.”

 

“Is the sun coming up!?!?” Fury shouted, indigently. 

 

“Yes, sir?” The navigator called back, uncertain.

 

“Then put it on the left! Get us over water! One more turbine goes down and we do too!” He looked around for Will, “Where did that little…”

 

Marai raised an eyebrow, “She took some of the weapons that we had, and bolted.”

-/-

 

When Steve made it to Engine 3 it was in complete disarray. A large chunk had been torn completely off, “Stark, I’m here.” He shouted into his coms.

 

“I can’t get to Loki.” Will called back. “Banner problem.” 

 

“Ok.” Tony sounded, “Let’s see what we got.” He flew in close enough to get a good look. “I gotta get this superconducting cooling system back online before I can access the rotors and work on dislodging the debris.” He tugged on the rotor and frowned, looking at Steve. “I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which relays are in overload position.” He flew back towards the cooling conductors.

 

Steve jumped up, grasped the railing and pulled himself up. He wrenched open the control panel, he looked at it for along moment, long enough that Stark sounded in his ear again.

 

“What does it look like int here?”

 

“IT seems to run on some form of electricity.” 

Tony sighed, exasperatedly, “Well, you're not wrong.” 

 

-/-

 

Natasha was running hard from Hulk, when she caught a glint of metal. Will was there, suddenly, launching on her super powered legs, bone colored white wings arched out behind her, and hooking her thighs around the beasts neck. “RUN!” She screamed at Natasha, “GET TO LOKI!” She bellowed, as he attempted to dislodge her by punching her legs. 

 

A flash of blonde passed Natasha as she ran, she turned to see Hulk knocked off his feet, and Will flailing with him as Thor tackled them into the next room.  The three broke apart and rolled away from each other, as those in the room darted out. Thor looked up at Hulk, who made it to his feet first, Will wobbled a moment before getting into a fighting stance, her legs planted firmly, and her fist cocked and ready to go. 

 

Thor and Hulk circled each other for a moment, until Hulk grew tired of it, he swung and missed as Thor punched him in the jaw. Will collided with him, using her whole body’s momentum cartwheeling forward, and dropping hard to the ground. Hulk swayed off balance, but grabbed her and used her to hit Thor in the shoulder. Will grabbed Thor hard around the shoulders, and yanked him off the ground, as Hulk moved to toss her, she released Thor, he hit Hulk square in the face with his whole body.

 

When Thor regained his footing, “We are not your enemies, Banner! Try to think.” Hulk punched Thor in the face, sending him backwards into the next room, just as Will launched at him again, wrapping her legs around his neck, and tightening her hold. 

-/-

 

As Tony blasted debri off the turbine engine, Steve worked on the relays, “The relays are intact. What’s our next move?”

 

“Even if I clear the rotors, this thing won’t re-engage without a jump. I;m gonna have to get in there and push.” Tony responded in his ear. Steve cast him a look to see him diving once more into the turbine. 

“How’s Banner?” Steve asked Will, since her com had been a odd mixture of screaming and thumps.

 

“Great, were getting real close.” He heard her say.

 

He refocused on Tony’s words. “Well if that thing gets up to speed, won’t you get shredded?”

 

“Then stay in the control unit and reverse the polarity long enough to dienage mag…” 

Steve interrupted him, “Speak English!” He demanded.

Tony sighed, “See the red lever? It’ll slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it, wait for my word.” Tony ordered him.

 

-/-

 

Thor crashed into a stack of crates, which sent them toppling in every direction, as he raised his head, he ran his fingers over his lips, and glared to see blood on his fingers. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hands, and heard the familiar roar of the Hulk, just as Will cartwheeled through the air, her back landing against a fire extinguisher, her wings breaking open the case, and sending glass raining down on her and the floro. Thor cast her a nervous look then raised his hand, waiting for his hammer. 

 

As Hulk neared, the glint of mjolnir whirled past Hulk, and planted itself straight into Thor’s hand. Thor stood and landed an uppercut into Hulk’s jaw, which sent him straight into a fighter jet. He stood, shook his head, and growled. He ripped the end of the jet off, and hurled the piece through the air. 

Will slammed into the back of Thor, as the plane’s tail soared over them. Thor threw Mjolnir with all his strength, knocking Hulk backwards head over heels. Hulk fell down, hammer in hand, he tried to lift it but faltered. The more Hulk struggled with the hammer, the closer both Will and Thor inched, Thor advanced quickly to knee Hulk in the face. Thor grabbed his hammer, and jumped, locking Hulk in a chokehold.

 

Will moved fast, gathering one large green wrist then the other between her hands, pulling them together behind Hulk’s back as he struggled, she wrapped her legs tight around his wrist, and squeezed.  Hulk broke free of them both, grabbing the pair by their necks. 

 

-/-

 

Watching the monitors, Fury and Hill both glowered at the screens. “We need a full evac on the lower hanger bay.” Maria nodded beside him, she exited out the side. From the otherside a grenade erupted, sending Hill flying down the stairs, and Fury shot at the open entrance, men poured in, as the fight broke out around him he watched in worry as the whole of the control panel was destabilized. 

 

“Sir! Hulk, Thor, and Barnes are in shuttle levels 2, 3, and 4.” Jasper Sitwell, one of Fury’s top agents, sounded over the coms.

 

“Sir, the Hulk will tear this place apart!” Hill called back, just as loud.

 

Fury sighed, “Get his attention.” 

 

Hill nodded, “Escort 606, proceed to 270 MAIN SHUTTLE! Don’t get too close!” She ordered over the coms.

 

“Copy.” A voice sounded over the system.

 

“Fury, sir, Thor and I would like to not be shot.” Will sounded like she was in pain.

 

“Copy.” The 606’s flyers voice sounded again. 

 

-/-

 

The pilot moved with ease, eyes dancing over the trio as they moved. Will looked deadly in how she swung her legs in defensive positions, her mouth was coated with blood, and he could make out bite marks on Hulk’s torso, more alarming were the wings, the thick skeletal parts of which she was using to bash Hulk hard in the head with. Thor was hitting him with his hammer as he could. “Target acquired.” 606 sounded, “Target engaged.” He hummed as he pulled the trigger, and both his mounted guns fired at Hulk. 

 

Thor and Will collided with each other behind him, tangling up and dropping down a level. Hulk roared before he took off running and jumped at the plane. “TARGET ANGRY! TARGET ANGRY!” He shouted. The hulk landed on the nose of the jet, sending the jet whirling around, as the Hulk proceeded to rip it apart, the pilot attempted to eject, only to be caught by the hulk. The jet exploded just as the pilot pulled his parachute. The Hulk dropped in  free fall toward the ground, and the pilot looked like he had passed out. 

Thor tossed her over his shoulder, and headed back toward the bridge. “Are you ok, Shieldmaiden?”

 

“I’ve been better,” She admitted. “I’m sort of hungry right now. Is Asgardian blood as potent as human blood? Banner wasn’t that tasty.” She admitted.

 

“Don’t bite me, creature.” He growled, and she could feel the electricity crackling around them.

 

She laughed, “Got it, boss.” Then kicked free from him, running toward the doorway that led to Engine compartment 3. “Gotta help Stevie!” She called over her shoulder.

 

“Farewell Shieldmaiden!” He called to her as their paths diverged more.

She slammed into the back of one of Barton’s men, knocking him from the helicarrier before he could shoot Steve, who was standing by the control panel, “Toss me the shield would you dear?” She called up to him, he complied as Ironman cut through a piece of broken metal and started hopping on it to dislodge it.

 

As the men fired at her, she danced around them with the Shield up and ready to roll, then she kicked a couple off  the helicarrier for good measure. She embedded the shield in one of there chest, then jerked back and watched the man die. 

 

-/-

 

Darkness encompassed the ridge, “Sir, we’ve lost all power in Engine 1!” Jasper Sitwell shouted.

 

“It’s Barton. He took out our systems. He’s headed for the detention level. Does anybody copy?” Fury pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. 

 

It took a few minutes, then Will got back to him “I copy, this is Private Barnes.”

 

Followed by Natasha, “I copy, this is Agent Romanoff.”

 

“Poor Clint.” Fury sighed. The screens beeped at him, “Stark, we’re losing altitude.”

 

“Yeah. Noticed.”  Tony sounded back.

 

-/-

 

Natasha made it to Clint first, her body colliding with him, just as Will rounded the corner. Natasha kicked him in the face, Barton swung at her, but she caught his arm, and twisted it pushing it back, arching it in an unfamiliar way. Will darted forward, and kneed him hard in the head, knocking him out. “Well, that was anticlimactic.” 

“How are you and Steve even friends?” Natasha grumbled as Will bent down and pulled Clint over his shoulder. “You are the sneakiest little bitch.”

 

“I learned a lot of it from the Commandos and Peggy.” Will said, honestly, giving Natasha a long look. “Let’s get back to Fury.”

 

Natasha leaned against her as they moved, any fear she had of the strange creature next to her forgotten, as Natasha decided Will was a life line she could clutch no matter her cover. 

 

-/-

 

Tony spun the rotors, hard, getting them up to full speed. “Cap! I need the lever!”

 

Steve immediately pulled the switch, but it took a long moment for it to respond. 

 

Finally a vent opened for Engine 3, Tony fell out, the suit was too damaged to keep him up, as he shot toward Steve, the other man caught him and drug him forward as one of Barton’s men fired on them, Tony crashed into him. 

 

Steve carried Tony inside, and toward the bridge.

 

-/-

 

As everyone, minus Thor and Banner, gathered around the briefing table, Fury spoke first, “These were in Phil Coulson’s jacket.” He tossed the trading cards that housed images of Steve, Bucky, and Will on them. “Guess he never did get you to sign them.” They were stained with blood. Nick turned away from them. “We are ead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor, I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye.” He hummed, “Maybe I had that one coming.” He looked around the room. “Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea. Stark knows this, called The Avengers Initiative.” He looked down as if collecting his thoughts, “The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes.”

 

Tony scraped away from the table, hard. 

 

Fury frowned, “Well, it is an old fashioned notion.”

 

-/-

 

Tony and Steve both found themselves looking at the stain of blood left behind by Phil Coulson. “Was he married?” Steve asked, cautiously. Will and Natasha we're working together in silence doing what he wasn't sure but neither had moved in the last hour. 

Tony shook his head, “No. There was a uh… cellist, I think?” In reality he would have had to ask Pepper to know for sure.

 

“I'm sorry.” Steve offered, unsure. “He seemed like a good man.” He stepped closer, until he was shoulder to shoulder with Tony.

 

“He was an idiot.” Tony muttered.

 

“Why?” Steve asked, unsure. “For believing?”

Tony shook his head again. “For taking on Loki alone.”

 

“He was doing his job.” Steve said calmly.

 

“He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have…” Tony faltered. At a loss for words.

 

“Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony.” Steve hummed.

Tony made a irritated nose, “Right. How did that work for him?”

 

Steve sighed, “is this the first time you've lost a soldier?”

 

Tony shoved at him, “WE ARE NOT SOLDIERS! I am not marching to Fury's fife!”

 

“Neither am I!” Steve countered. “He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've gotta put that aside to get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, we need to look at the list Will made…”

 

Tony looked at the blood stain again, “He made it personal.”

 

“That's not the point.” Steve tried.

 

Tony shook his head. “That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live.” He paused, “Why?”

 

“To tear us apart?” Steve suggested, now following Tony.

 

Will's voice made them both jerk, surprised. “He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and wants to be seen doing it. He. Wants. An. Audience.” She punctuated each work carefully as she approached them.

 

“Right, I caught hisact at Stuttgart. With you.” He looked at Will.

 

“Yeah.” Tony nodded, he punched the air, “That's just a preview, this is  opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skie with his name plastered…” Tony paused, he looked at Will who gave him a mothering smile, “ Sonofabitch!”

       -/-

 

“Time to go.” Steve declared, looking between Will and Nat. Will was already in her suit, leather pants and jacket, glasses on her face. Ready to go. 

 

“Go where?” Natasha asked, alarmed. 

 

“I’ll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?” Steve asked.

 

Barton pushed through the door, “I can.”

 

“You got a suit?” Steve asked, waiting. 

 

“Yeah.” He nodded, looking slightly perplexed.

 

Steve nodded, “Then suit up.”

Will smiled as she stood, then placed her hand through his, “Let’s go kick ass, Stevie.”

They made their way toward the flight deck, climbing onto one of the Quinjets, where a young shield pilot looked at them and moved to stand in their way. “You are not authorized to be here…”

 

“Son… just don’t.” Steve grumbled as he shoved past.

-/-

 

Tony in his Ironman suit arrived at his tower to see Selvig activating a CMS device, he was holding the Tesseract. Jarvis, inside his suit sounded, “Sir, I took off the arc reactor. The device is already self-sustained. Pepper is flying home.”

 

Tony shook his head, and approached Selvig. “Shut it down, Dr. Selvig.”

 

“It's too late! It can't stop now.” Selvig called out, his eyes a milky blue black swirl. “He wants to show us something. A new universe.”

 

“Okay.” Tony sighed, aimed his hands at the CMS and fired. The energy shattered with a loud crack, Selvig toppled backwards. Below Tony could see countless passerbys starting to freeze and look up. To his complete disbelief the harness was unharmed.

 

Jarvis sounded again, “The barrier is pure energy. It's unreachable. The Mark VII is not ready to be deployed.”

 

Tony frowned. “Skip the spinning rimmls, Jarvis, we are on the clock.” Tony landed his suit on the balcony, he passed through the gauntlet and allowed the system to removed pieces of his suit. Loki looked up at him with a smile.

 

Together they walked into his penthouse. Looking had his scepter in hand, Tony casually walked down the stairs, headed for his bar. “Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity.”

Tony looked up from the tumbler he had been pouring. “Uh… actually, I'm planning to threaten you.”

 

“You should have left you're armor on for that.” Loki suggested

 

“Yeah, it's seen bit of milage. You've got the blue stick of destiny. Would you like a drink?” Tony shook the bottle of Scotch at him. 

“Stalling me won't change anything.” Loki looked done.

 

Tony wondered if he realized how tired he looked. “No, no, no.” He teased. “Threatening. No drink? You sure? I'm having one.” Tony tried for easy.

 

“The CHITAURI are coming, nothing will change that. What have I to fear?” Looking asked, his confidence seemingly restored. 

 

“The Avengers.” Loki gave him a confused look. “It's what we call ourselves, sort of a team. Earth's mightiest heroes type thing.” He supplied.

 

“Yes, I've met them.” Loki looked amused.

Tony smiled as he poured himself another  glass of honey colored Scotch, “Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I’ll give you that one.” He quirked a smile at Loki, “But, let’s do a head count here. You're brother, the demiGod; two super soldiers, one a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend the other a monster of myth, a man with breathtaking anger management issues, a couple of master assassins, and you, big fella, you’ve managed to piss off every single one of them.”

 

Loki batted his eyelashes, “That was the plan.”

 

Tony snorted, “Not a great plan. When they come, and they will, they’ll come for you.” Tony slid his hand under the bar table, sliding a honing device on, with the colantotte bracelet. 

 

“I have an army.” Loki grinned.

 

“We have the vampire thing? Remember her?” Tony hummed.

 

“I have superior intellect.” Loki shot back.

 

“We have a Hulk.” Tony countered.

 

Loki looked amused, “I thought the beast had wandered off.”

Tony offered him a frown, “You’re missing the point. There is no throne, there is no version of this, where you come out on top. Maybe you're army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can’t protect the Earth, you can be damned sure we’ll avenge it.” Tony promised.

 

Loki walked up to him, scepter raised, “How will your friends have time for me when they are so busy fighting you?” He demanded, as he tapped Tony’s chest with his scepter, nothing happened. He tapped again. Loki frowned, and tapped a third time to his annoyance nothing happened. “It should work.   
  


“Well, performance issues, you know?” Tony shrugged, but Loki caught him off guard as he grabbed him by his throat and flung him across the room. Tony groaned, and muttered, “Anytime now, Jarvis.” Just as Loki pulled him off the ground by his throat again.

Loki shook him like ragdoll. “You will all fall before me!” He screamed as he threw him out the window. Tony tossed his head back and howled like Steve had shown them earlier, adn to his amazement strong stone colored arms caught him before any of his suit started to exit the building.

 

“IT’s coming, Will, just hold steady until-” Tony stopped abruptly as several red pods appeared, the pods laser synced to the bracelets on Tony, then slowly started to transform into the Mark VII suir, it latched on to Tony as Will let him go. The pair flew upward together, a crowd on the street below grasping. 

 

Loki glowered at them.

 

“And there’s one other person you pissed off!” Tony shouted. “His name was Phil.” Loki raised the scepter as Tony raised his hands, the blasters lit up and fired at Loki, sending him sprawling backwards, as Will dropped heavily down to the floor, Tony landing beside her. “You should go finish helping with the evac.” 

 

She cocked her head at him, 

“F einer Metallmann, lass den Halbgott nicht entkommen.” She jabbed him in the chest, before stepping off the ledge. 

 

“Jarvis, translate that please.”Tony hummed.

 

Jarvis’s voice even sounded amused, “The vampire says : “Fine metal man, don't let the demigod get away.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Drama queen.”

 

-/-

 

Outside Selvig had opened the vortex and portal to another vast open dimension of space. Tony soared upward, “Right. Army.” He hummed, as several creatures and ships began to poor out from the stars. He fired several miniature rockets, several of the alien force dropped, but Tony watched in utter discontent as thousands more poured out.

“Tony.” He turned to see Will, she shook her head and pointed down. Where the Chitauri force was unleashing madness on New York City. Explosions rocked the buildings and flames erupted. She cocked her head backwards, Tony followed the arc to see Thor and Loki atop his tower fighting. “We are needed.” She growled out, through elongated k-9s. 

 

“Let's get their attention, huh Morticia?” Tony muttered, before launching one of his larger bombs, and then turning on his heels to fly away. Will whistled catching some of the aliens attention, and headed in the opposite direction.

 

A few moments later the com piece in Will's ear, as well as the com piece in Tony's suit sounded, with Nat’s voice. “Stark, we're heading north east.”

 

Will continued to leave the aliens on her tail, banking them now toward the east location. She snorted when Tony sounded in her ear, “What did you stop for drive-thru? Swing up Park Ave. I'm gonna lay 'em out for you. Will you copy me? Head to Park.”

 

“I hear you.” Will shouted, as she turned her body again, nearly missing a blast from one of the aliens on her tail. 

 

Jarvis caught his attention, “Sir, we have more incoming.” 

 

“Fine.” Tony told Jarvis, then he keyed up the coms again, “Let’s keep the incoming occupied, Will, care to flank me?”

 

“On your left.” She beat her wings against the sky to come to a rest just behind his feet blasters.

-/-

 

The Quinjet took a rogue hit from a Chitauri blaster, the wing caught fire, Clint banked it hard, maneuvering the one wing he still had. It’s a slow spin, as they dropped out of the air, they slammed into the street, and skid along the pavement. “We good?” Nat asked everyone, they nodded around the quinjet. Both Clint and Nat unbuckled as she dropped the ramp. Steve ran down it first, with both Clint and Nat behind him. 

“What the hell is that?” Clint asked as he looked up.

 

“It’s called a leviathan.” Tony grumbled into his com, annoncing the newly minted term to everyone. 

 

Before anyone could respond, Chitauri soldiers dropped from the belly of the beast, and slid down the sides of skyscrapers, heading towards the trio where they stood. “Stark, are you seeing this?” Steve asked, as they bega firing blasters and energy rifles at innocent people. 

“I’m seeing. Still working on believing. Where’s Banner?” Stark asked over the com, “Has he shown up yet?”

 

“Banner?” Steve hummed.

“Just keep me posted, me and the vampire princess are looking for softspots.” Tony explained.

 

Steve watched with wide eyes as Tony, with Will on his back, her wings folded tight against her back, the pair moving in tandem, her shooting, and Tony blasting away at teh Leviathan thing. 

 

“We need to get these civs out of the way!” Nat shouted.

 

“This way!” Steve waved as they ran up behind a series of taxis, they looked up to see Loki flying one of the Chitauri machines. He waved his arm, and rained explosions and fires down on teh streets, cars exploding, and buildings shaking, innocent people were hurled across the road, and through windows. Steve looked down the bridge. “These people need assistance down there.” He turned wildly as a Chitauri landed not far from them. 

 

“We got this. It’s good. Go!” Nat assured him, already raising her staff, and smiling warmly.

 

“You think you can hold them off?” Steve asked Clint.

 

“Captain,” He pulled one of the triggers on his bow, it selected and arrow and loaded it, “It would be my genuine pleasure.” He shot a Chitauri through the eye, which gave Steve the window he needed.

 

He dropped off the bridge, Steve hit the ground running, sprinting hard around debris, and over cars. Over the coms Nat sounded, “Just like Budapest all over again!” 

 

Clint followed it up with, “You and I remember Budapest very differently.”

 

“What the shit is Budapest?” Will demanded over her com, as she dropped down next to Steve, retracting her wings and spring itn alongside him. 

They reached a blockade where police were arguing. Steve waited for her to give him a boost, he landed on a car, and smiled at the cops, his face somber. “I need men in these buildings.” He pointed to both buildings on either side of him. “There are people inside that can run into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or through the subway. You keep them off the streets. I need a perimeter as far bas as 39th.”

 

“Why the hell should I take orders from you?” The police sergeant demanded.

 

Will appeared next to him, her wings out behind her, as an explosion sounded to their right, Steve held the shield up to capture the energy blast, as four Chitauri moved to attack, Will lodged one of her wing spines through one’s chest, and hooked her legs around another's neck, twisted, tight and pulled him to the ground as she stabbed him repetitively in the face with her short blade. Steve easily fended off both of his attackers with the shield, and a punch/kick combination. When all four were on the ground, the pair looked back at the policemen. 

 

The sergeant pulled his radio to his mouth, and shouted into it, “I need men in those buildings, lead the people down and away from the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th.”

 

“Good call.” Will growled, as she nodded to Steve. 

 

-/-

Will dropped Steve on the bridge, and glided down into position next to him. Clint tripped a Chitauri soldier and rammed an arrow down it’s throat. Nat managed to get an energy rifle, which she used more like a baseball bat, as she hit the advancing aliens again an again, with it. Will had her wings out, literally bashing her long wingspan into the aliens as they neared too close, her clawed hands ripping layers of armor off so Steve, Clint, or Nat could reach the meaty parts of the beast. 

 

Lightning cracked against the sky, the hair on the back of their necks standing up as all the Chitauri around them dropped. Thor touched down next to Will, giving her a crooked smile and a sharp nod. Steve looked at him, “What is the story upstairs?”

 

“The powers surrounding the cube is impenetrable.” Thor huffed.

 

Tony over the coms added, “Thor is right, we gotta deal with these guys.”

 

“How do we do this?” Nat asked.

 

“As a Team.” Steve declared.

 

“I have unfinished business with Loki.” Thor folded his arms. 

 

“Yeah, get in line.” Clint grumbled.

 

“I call third place.” Will snapped, her nails and claws glinting under the sun. 

“Save it. Loki’s gonna keep this fight focused on us, and that’s what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he’s gonna need us…”  Steve looked upward. 

 

Will grinned, “BRUCE!” As he arrived on a moped, she darted around the dead, and almost tackled Banner. 

 

He looked around the city, arms loose around her as she hugged him. “So, this all seems horrible.”

 

“I’ve seen worse.” Nat humed.

 

“Sorry.” Bruce hung his head, hitting his forehead against one of Will’s upper spine, she cradled him.

 

“No.” She tucked her hands under his face, and looked at him, “We could use worse.” 

“Stark, we got him.” Steve called over the com.

 

“Banner?” Tony asked, for confirmation.

 

“Just like you said.” Clint agreed over the coms.

 

“Tell him to suit up. I’m bringing the party to you.” Tony declared.

 

Will released Banner and smiled at him. “Time to suit up, my fellow monster.”

 

He gave her a soft shove, “Team monster.” 

 

“Team monster.” She promised. 

 

As several warships, led by Tony wove around the skyscrapers, Nat looked up conflicted, “I… I don’t see how that’s a party…” 

Banner started a slow walk forward, Will behind him.

 

“Dr. Banner, now might be a really good time for you to get angry.” Steve declared. 

 

Will kicked off the ground, her claws sinking into a rogue Chitauri. “That’s my secret, Captain. I’m always angry!” Banner called over his shoulder, as he started to shake, his body swelling and stretching, turning a violent green. 

 

Hulk took off in a sprint, wound his arm up, ran up Will’s body, where she had created a ramp, flew through the air, and punched the Leviathan in the nose. The alien creature flipped over, head over heels, just as Tony fired one of his missiles into the meaty part of its side armor. Meat rained down on all of them as the beast exploded, fire and blood coated Will’s form, she shook both off, and jumped into the air, flying up to survey the area below. 

“Team!” Steve called, they all dropped around Steve, flanked him, even Hulk who looked like he was itching for a fight, at least until Will settled on his shoulder, and tucked a wing over his head. 

 

“Call it, Cap.” Tony ordered, as they looked heavenward, more war machines and battleships dropping through the portal. 

 

“Alright, listen up. Until we can close the portal up there, we’re gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof.” He pointed to one of the taller skyscrapers still standing. “Eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash.” 

Tony nodded, Clint looked at him with a lopsided grin, “Wanna give me a lift?”

 

“Right.” Tony nodded. “Better clench up, Legolas.” He grabbed Clint, and soared upward. 

 

“Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up.” Thor nodded, and spun his hammer, in large arches until it lifted him off the ground. Steve looked at Nat, “You and me, we stay here on teh ground, keep the fighting here.” Nat nodded, and took a step back as Steve looked up at Hulk and Will. “Hulk - SMASH!” Will fluttered down as Hulk took off, her red eyes on Steve as she waited for her orders. He turned his attention to Will, “Kill anything that stands in your way. Your target is Loki, do I make myself clear?” She nodded her head, eyes bloody red, and skin marble white. “Howl you're locations!” He shouted to everyone as they were running away. 

-/-

 

Hawkeye settled into his position, firing arrows into the steaming flow of Chitauri riders. He watched as Will soared upward headed towards whatever job Steve had given her. Clint hit his mark, with each arrow. “Stark. You got a lot of strings sticking to your tail.” He announced over the coms.

 

“Just try and keep them off the streets.” Tony sounded back. 

Clinted nodded, mostly to himself. Then added, “Well, they can’t bank worth a damn. Find a tight corner, that should work for you too, Will.” He looked back towards her position to see a similarly large number flanking her as she wove up and around buildings.

 

“I will roger that.” Tony called out as he led the beast into a series of tight turns. Clint laughed as both Will and Tony brought the fight back toward him, banking tight, multiple aliens crashing into buildings, or blowing up as his arrows embedded in them. To his amusement Will dropped two hands full of arrows next to him and blew him a red lipped kiss as she soared away again. “Nice call, Hawk.” Tony hummed, as he looked back over his shoulder to find none left on his tail. “What else you got?”

 

“Well, Thor’s taking on a squadron down on 6th, and Will’s returning my arrows to me.” Clint hummed.

 

“And he didn’t invite me?” Tony teased, dropping another series of arrows next to Clint on the rooftop as he blasted past. 

 

-/-

Steve was locked down in battle, as Nat was swept off her feet by a Chitauri soldier, she grappled with it until she managed to cut it’s throat open wtih her curved knife. She grabbed the energy rifle she’d dropped when the beast had grabbed her, and turned ready to attack, to see Steve standing there, holding his Shield.  “Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don’t close that portal.”

 

“Our biggest guns couldn’t touch it.” Steve sighed, looking up where she was looking. Chitauri soldiers were being chased by a vicious looking Will, who had energy rifles in both hands and was firing wildly at them. 

 

“Well, maybe it’s not about the guns.” She motioned to Will, and the other Chariots.

 

“You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride.” Steve tipped his head back and howled, low and proud. Will turned sharp, and moved back toward them.

 

“I got a ride.” Nat howled again, “I could use a lift though.” Steve lifted his shield and angled it just right, Nat backed up to give herself a running start, she sprinted, as her feet hit the shield, Steve tossed her up, Will caught her and flung her higher still, Nat landed on the back of one of the Chariots.  

 

“How are we doing, Will?” Steve called up.

 

“Tony just brought another Leviathan down.” She called down. “I haven’t made it to Loki yet.” She huffed. 

Steve nodded, as Clint sounded over their coms, “Captain the bank on 42nd past Madison, they caught a lot of civilians there.” 

 

“We’re on it.” Steve huffed, and reached up with one hand. Will caught his wrist, and took off in a quick flight, her wings carrying them over most of the battle. She crashed them both through the second story window of the bank. “BOMB!” Steve pointed to the one Chitauri who looked to be in charge, Will flew at him, grappling, and grabbing, until they both lifted off the ground, she pulled him back out the window with her, the blast killed him, but sent her flying backwards into a squad car.

Steve spared her a glance, then called, “Everyone clear out!” The other two aliens advanced on him, he quickly dropped one, hitting it in the soft meat of his neck, the other he threw over his head, into the window. He looked out to see Will shaking her head, blood leaking out the side of her face, she let out a ferocious roar and dove at the creature, bringing her fangs down on it’s exposed forearm. He shuddered at the violent splay of grey blood, as she ripped the flesh away. He looked below to see all the civilians looking up at him. “EVERYONE HEAD TO THE BASEMENT.” 

 

He stepped off the ledge, and landed across the street from Will. “Will.” He spoke her name cautiously, she snarled at him and let out a vicious howl. “I know that hurt.” He moved toward her, as police aimed guns at her, and others helped move civilians out of the basement. “Don’t shoot, she’s an AVENGER!” He shouted, as he moved to her again.

 

She kicked off and flew away from him, another angry howl on her lips. “Will’s not in control of herself right now. She got hurt and needs to feed. Do not engage.” Steve ordered over the com system. 

 

-/-

 

Fury was not in the mood to receive a call from the security council, he had been watching events of New York as they evolved. “To what do I owe this call?” He asked, softly. 

 

Chair Two spoke, with a calm voice. “Director Fury, the council has made a decision.”

 

Fury rolled his shoulders, irritated. “I recognized the council has made a decision, but given that it’s a stupid ass decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.” He folded his arms over his chest.

 

Chair One huffed, “Director, you’re closer than any of our subs, you scramble that jet…”

 

Fury openly glared at them. “That is the island of Manhattan, Councilman. Until I’m certain my team can’t hold it, I will not order a nuclear strike against a civilian population.” 

 

Chair One snorted, “If we don’t hold them in the air, we lose everything.”

 

Fury sighed, “I send that bird out, we already have.” He shut off his viewscreen.

 

-/-

 

Nat was chasing Loki on the Chariot, Clint was a bit concerned, as they raced madly overhead. “I’ve got him.” Clint had promised, raising his arrow. The arrow arked toward Loki’s head, when teh demiGod snatched it from the sky. The arrow exploded in his grasp, the black cloud of smoke masking his vision as Will slammed into him, the pair crashing into the balcony over Stark Tower, Nat jumped off her own Chariot, and rolled herself almost to the edge of the roof of Stark Tower. 

 

From out of nowhere the Hulk joined Will, her face painted red and blue with the blood of fallen enemies. 

Loki looked up at her shocked as she gave him a sharp cheshire cat smile, and waved Hulk forward. Hulk kicked Loki, which sent him into Stark’s bulletproof glass windows, Loki bounced off them and dropped hard against the floor. The Hulk jumped forward ready to attack. Loki drew himself up, just as Will advanced, her blood covered hands dripping against the floor. 

 

Loki glowered at Hulk and Will, “ENOUGH! YOU ARE, ALL OF YOU ARE BENEATH  ME! I AM A GOD, YOU DULL CREATURE, AND I WILL NOT BE BULLIED…” Hulk grabbed him y his legs and smashed him against the floor, repetitively, he smashed him on the right then the left, finally he threw him aside to the ground, Loki’s impact leaving a crater, and cracking the ground. 

 

“Puny God.” Hulk hissed. 

Loki whimpered as Will moved closer, her mouth open and hungry. “Sorry, Loki.” She almost whispered as she yanked his wrist up and pushed his gauntlet out of the way, her fangs sinking into his veins. Loki screamed out in pain as her venom seemed to burn through him. 

 

-/-

 

Nat looked back to see Hulk literally sitting on Loki, while Will drank from teh demiGod’s arm. She shook her head, and walked toward the CMS machine. Selvig was slumped against it, weakened. He looked up at her desperately. The Tesseract’s energy was firing up toward the porta, gaining in strength, every surge of energy moving through the cosmos. 

“Doctor.” Nat looked at him, skeptical.

 

“Loki’s scepter, the energy… the Tesseract can’t fight. You can’t protect against yourself.” Selvig whined.

 

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know what you were doing.” Nat gave him a soft smile.

 

“Well, actually I think I did.” He looked at her with wide eyes. “I built a safety to cut the power source.”

Nat smiled at him, “Loki’s scepter.”

 

“It might be able to close the portal.” He looked over the edge, and caught the gleam of gold. “And I’m looking right at it.” 

 

-/-

“STARK, WILL ANYONE THAT CAN HEAR ME!” Fury shouted over their coms, his voice full of panic. 

“I read you sir.” Will sounded winded. “Got some food in me, I’m ready for round two.”

 

“Copy you, Fury.” Tony sounded tired.

 

“ We have a  missile headed straight for the city.” Every Avenger paused, Will looked through the skies until she saw Tony and headed straight for him. 

 

“How long?” Tony asked over the coms.

 

“Three minutes, at best. Stay low and wipe out the missile.” Fury growled.

 

“I’m with you Tony.” Tony felt claws clink against his suit as he looked at Will. 

 

“I need you on the distraction game.” She climbed more stable on him, hooking her legs around his waist, looking at his feet. “Kill anything that gets close to me.” He watched her wings shrink. “Are you shifting.”

 

“You need to be aerodynamic.” She hissed.

 

“Jarvis.” Tony spoke to his suit, “Put everything we got into the thrusters!”

“I just did.” Jarvis stated. 

 

Will had her pistols up and was firing, her form human. She bit nervously as Tony’s foot blasters carried them faster, she dropped both guns in her fumble to hold tight to Tony’s metal waist. “Tell me when to drop.” She shouted over the roar of wind. Even now, with her legs more firmly wrapped around his waist, she had her hands up, pushing and clawing against the Chitauri who swarmed at them. 

 

-/-

 

Steve and Thor were standing, side by side, the pair throwing their respected weapons. Thor caught Mjolnir, just as Steve turned, an energy blast struck him down hard. Thor ran over a broken car, swung the hammer and flipped the car over and over on its side, he crushed a few Chitauri under it, then helped Steve to his feet. Steve raised his shield back up. “You ready for another bout?” Thor asked him, carefully. 

 

“What? You gettin’ sleepy?” Steve regretted it the moment it came from his lips. That was something he would have said to Bucky, or any of the other Howling Commandos, he had half expected Thor to quirk back something, but he was as lost on Earth as Steve was these days. 

 

-/-

 

Nat had the scepter up and ready to go. “I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I can shut the portal!” She shouted over the coms.

 

“Don’t!” Will snapped, her voice fierce against their ears. “Stark and I have a nuke problem.” 

 

Stark sighed, “The nuke, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just  where to put it.” Then he spoke directly to Will, “The moment I catch it, you drop ok?” 

 

“Ok.” She whispered, tapping the armor over his head lightly. “Godspeed, Tony.”

 

They reached the missle, Tony catching it from behind, he grabbed it, and managed to wrench it off course, just as she let go. He watched her free fall for a bit, Will was moving fast, as he pushed toward the portal. Now that he had it on course, or at least on his corse, he didn’t have to fight it anymore. He was just hanging on.

 

“Stark!” Steve shouted over their coms. “You know that’s a one-way trip?”

 

While Tony tried to call Pepper, Will turned midair, and stretched her arms and legs out. She breathed in, as she crashed into a squadron, her wings unfurling as she let out a mighty roar. Above her, Tony’s com shorted out, she looked up as his tail disappeared into the heavens. 

 

Around the Avengers, scattered through the city, the Chitauri soldier and leviathans dropped, their bodies seizing and shaking, until they just stopped. They all fell to the ground, Will made her way to Steve, everyone converging on him, as they looked up. Alarmed, as Tony disappeared. 

“Come on, Stark…” Nat whispered into the coms.

 

Thor, Steve, and Will noticed the ships at once, a supernova blasting toward them. Thor nodded at them, and wound up the hammer, intent to fly up. 

“Close it.” Steve ordered. 

 

Nat followed the order, a shaky breath exhaled across the coms. A small figure dropped from the now closed portal. “HOWIE JUNIOR!” Will screamed. 

Steve grinned,  “Son of a bitch!”

 

“He’s not slowing down.” Thor kicked off, just as the Hulk smashed through, snagging Tony out of the air, the pair clashing into a building. With his free hand, Hulk slid them down the side of a building. Hulk threw him off as they landed on the ground. Thor, Steve, and Will all moved to hover over him. Steve knelt down as Tho ripped the helmet free from Tony’s suit. No one moved, then Hulk yelled, Will let out a blood curdling scream next to him. Tony jolted awake. 

“What the hell? What just happened?” He looked around them all, and took a shaky breath, “Please tell me nobody kissed me?”

 

Tony almost yelped as Will pressed a quick, chaste, blood and gore covered kiss to his lips. “We won.” she and Steve said in unison. 

 

Tony took a steadying breath, then “Alright, hey.” He smiled even as the green Hulk monster looked down at him, “Alright, good job, guys, let’s just not come in tomorrow.” Thor and Steve reached down to pull him to his feet. “Have you ever tried shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I wanna try it.” Tony watched as Will’s wings seemed to shimmer behind her, like a vibration ran through them.

 

“We are not finished yet.” Thor looked upward at Stark Tower. 

 

“And then shawarma after?” Tony questioned, his eyes linked to Will’s vibrant red ones.

 

“After.” She promised.  

They found Loki crawling to the stairs in Stark Tower, leaning heavily on his side. He panted, his muscles spasming, he might be a demigod but going toe to toe with the Hulk had been enough to wear him down. He could feel eyes on him, he turned sharply to see all of the Avengers looking at him, pissed. “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll have that drink.” He looked at Tony, Hulk snorted a laugh, while Will growled open fanged at him. 

-/-

 

“That was so much fun.” Will grumbled, as she and Steve crowded into one seat to eat shawarma. They were all exhausted, and crowded around the table as a group, this place was the only one that was still open on the block. Thor occasionally slumped against her as he ate. Natasha and Clint were on two chairs but pretty much sharing. Bruce and Tony were clouded together. Her face was coated in blood that ran down her front, and her eyes still tinted slightly pink. “Let’s agree to never do it again.”

 

“Or better, agree that if we ever do it again, not to do it in New York.” Clint hummed.

 

“Maybe somewhere tropical?” Nat suggested.

 

“We couldn’t of done it without you, Bruce. Or you, Will.” Tony looked between them. 

 

“It was nothing.” Banner huffed.

 

Will just ignore them. 

 

Steve leaned across the gap, and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Thank you, Mrs. Barnes.”

 

She winked at him, “Anytime Mr. Rogers.”

 

-/-

 

Central Park was alive with activity, New York already healing. The Avengers had managed to help the city clean up after they had eaten their fill. Crowded together, around Thor and Loki, the later of the two was handcuffed and muzzled. Thor took a moment to hug everyone goodbye, going as far to kiss Will’s temple, and call her “Sweet Shieldmaiden of Doom.” Before he embraced Selvig. Tony opened the metal case that housed the Tesseract, Bruce carefully took it out and placed it inside a glass tube, Thor took the offered tube. Then twisted it to a locked position, he held the other end out to Loki, who glowered before taking it. Pure bright energy enveloped them, as they were pulled across the Bifrost, to Asgard.

 

Tony and Banner took off in his sports car.

 

Steve climbed onto his Harley, Will climbed on after him, wrapping her arms around him, as he barreled off.

 

Natasha and Clint both climbed into a SHIELD issued SUV.

 

-/-

 

SHIELD

Analytical Room

 

Fury might have been pacing, any other day of the week. Today, however he was facing the World Security Council, all of whom were demanding he answer questions about the Avengers. The man in chair three looked even more irritated than the others, “Where are the Avengers?”

 

Fury shrugged his shoulders, slightly, “I’m not currently tracking their whereabouts. I’d say they’ve earned a leave of absence.” Fury shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Adn the Tesseract?” The woman who held Chair Two asked, imploringly. 

 

“The Tesseract is where it belongs. Out of our reach.” Fury answered honestly.  

 

Chair number one glowered at him, a man who had once led armies, “That’s not your call.” 

 

Fury laugh humorlessly, “I didn't make it. I just didn't argue with the god that did.”

 

“So you let him take it and the war criminal, Loki, who should be answering for his crimes?” Chair one snapped, looking hot under the collar. 

“Oh, I think he will be.” Fury assured them, his hands resting absently on the back of the chair he had been seated in. 

 

The man who held the first chair took a long breath, “I don’t think you understand what you’ve started. Letting the Avengers loose on this world. They are dangerous!” 

 

“They surely are. And the whole world knows it. Every world knows it.” Fury agreed, unable to suppress the slight smile that turned up on his lips. 

 

“Was that the point of all this? A statement?” Chair two demanded.

 

Sometimes, Nick Fury wondered how in the hell they became the council. “A promise.” He offered up easily, as he walked away, toward the bridge of the ship where Maria Hill was waiting for him.

 

“Sir, how does it work now? They’ve all gone their separate ways, some extremely far. We get into a situation like this again, what happens then?” She asked, her nerves plucking at her.

 

Fury smiled warmly at her. “They’ll come back?”

 

“You really sure about that?” Hill asked as they came to rest by the controls.

 

“I am.” Fury assured her. 

 

“But, why?” She asked, turning to look at him.

 

“Because we’ll need them to.” 


	5. Chapter Four -  Captain America: The Winter Solider - or - Gone Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every memory has a darkness.  
> Every hero a blind spot.
> 
> For Steve Rogers - the darkness and the blind spot is a dynamic duo Bucky and Will Barnes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, all of these characters are Marvel's - and amazing might I add except Will. Any typos or mistakes, however, are one hundred percent mine.

**CHAPTER FOUR: GONE AWAY**

**-OR-**

**CAPTAIN AMERICA -THE WINTER SOLDIER**

 

_ Maybe in another life _

_ I could find you there _

_ Pulled away before your time _

_ I can't deal it's so unfair _

 

_ And it feels _

_ And it feels like _

_ Heaven's so far away _

_ And it feels _

_ Yeah it feels like _

_ The world has grown cold _

_ Now that you've gone away _

 

_ Leaving flowers on your grave _

_ Show that I still care _

_ But black roses and Hail Mary's _

_ Can't bring back what's taken from me _

_ I reach to the sky _

_ And call out your name _

_ And if I could trade _

_ I would _

_ -Five Finger Death Punch: “Gone Away” _

 

-/-

 

**Siberia**

**1991**

 

In the snowy tundra, on a high point, HYDRA built a base. It was all but concealed most days of the year, with limited visions of the black military vehicles that climbed the mountain side to enter the largely underground chamber. Vasily Karpov was a new face to the Winter Soldier program, but still one of HYDRAs best officials. He entered the bunker as wind whipped snow around him, inside he pressed his palm to a flat pad, which led to glass raising. He drew out a red leather bound book with a black star on the front. 

 

The room opened up around a sunken circle, in the midst of it in a reinforced glass and steel chamber, James Barnes slumbered. Frozen. Ice clinging to his hair and his eyelashes. As he started to jerk awake, his mind coming alive, soldiers grabbed him and drug him into the sunken concrete circle, strapping him down into what looked like a military grade barber shop chair. Then they brought down the metal casing and put the bit in  his mouth. Once it was secured, another agent flipped a switch and James Barnes screamed out in pain, his body thrashing and writhing against the electric pulses.

 

Karpov sighed, then started to talk. “Zhelaniye. Rzhavvy. Semnadtsat’. Rassvet. Pech’. Devyat’. Dobroserdechnyy. Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu. Odin. Gruzovoy avtomobil’.” When James was still, “Dobroye utro, soldat.”

 

The creature that answered was no longer Barnes, not fully. In his place an armed bomb now at the ready, “YA gotov vypolnit’.”

 

“U menya yest’ missiya dlya vas. Sanktsiya i vyderzhka. Net svidetely.” Karpov handed him a folder. 

 

-/-

 

Sam Wilson was a creature of habit, he loved his morning jogs, he loved running. So while he happened to run every morning, lately his routine had been thrown off by the addition of two well known faces - one belonged to Captain America, and he had a tendency to dart around Sam and yell “On your Left.” obnoxiously, while the other belonged to a pretty strawberry blonde who he knew to be Lady Liberty, who always offered him a half smile, as she slowed down to his speed and ran alongside him. They didn’t talk, often, but he liked how easily she had become something he looked forward to. 

“On you're left!” Was the only warning Sam got, as Steve swerved around him, back ridiculously straight, and form rigid. She joined him on his right, giving him a soft smile. 

 

“On you're left!” Steve lapped him again.

 

Sam glared after his retreating form. “Uh-huh, on my left. Got it.” Then he looked to his right, where the blonde was grinning at him, “He always like this?”

 

“Been a little shit since I met ‘uhm back in the ‘30s. Safe to assume he’s never gonna change.” She offered, with a serious smile. Sam watched her track Steve with an amused expression, “My name’s Will, by the way.” She gave him a lavious smile, parting her lips that seemed to beg to be kissed, to reveal ivory white teeth.

 

“Don’t say it! Don’t you say it!” Sam warned as Steve made his way toward them again.

 

Steve snorted, “On your left!” As he wove around them.

 

“Come on!” Sam shouted after him.

 

Will broke into giggles at the exchange, “You remind me of someone.” She told him as she continued to run alongside him, “Someone who was so important to both of us.” She seemed to grow sad, then, as she shook her head, hard. 

 

Sam glared and sprinted after him, he tried to catch up, but gave up when his leg twinged in pain, he dropped hard under a series of trees, and watched as Will winked before darting off just as fast to catch Steve, and then lap him. “Son of a bitch.” He muttered, “She was running with me, instead of him. How considerate.” He sighed, and looked upward.

 

“Need a medic.” Steve teased, making Sam laugh, Will was a beat behind him. Sam took a moment to look them both over. He knew their story, hell the whole world did, but up close they looked like fragile 20 year olds in a world they couldn’t begin to understand. Steve had on long pants and a t-shirt that was way too tight across his shoulders, his waist was tapered, and his hips sturdy. Will was curvaceous in the right ways, her thighs meaty, her waist slim, maybe a-cups if he was guessing, but corded muscle. She had on long pants too, but a sports bra, and purple tinted shades, her hair in a messy bun atop her head. 

 

“I need a new set of lungs.” Sam offered, “Maybe a bionic leg. Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes.” He was not above being a fan of perfect bodies. He knew Will had bionic legs, however, and the way she quirked a sly smile at him made the jab worth it. 

 

“We got a late start.” Steve offered, sounding a little disgruntled.

 

Sam snorted, “Oh, really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap.” He waited a beat, then smirked up at Steve who was giving him a perplexing look, while Will was full on grinning down at him, “Did you just take it? I assumed you just took it.”

 

“What unit you with?” Steve asked, instead.

 

Sam didn’t understand the dynamic, how Will was content to let Steve do most of the talking, when she’d been so open with him before, but he let it die in his mind as he answered, “Fifty-eighth, pararescue. But now I’m working down at the VA. Sam Wilson.” He offered to both of them.

 

Steve extended his hand and pulled Sam to his feet. “Steve Rogers.”

 

“Will Barnes.” The girl next to him shook his hand next, shooting him a wink. 

 

Sam shook her hand, revealing in how solid she felt, considering how fragile her outward appearance was, she wasn’t that tall as far as women went, she was only up to Steve’s chest, and he was pretty sure he could fit both his hands around her waist, his thumbs and middle fingers touching in her middle. “I kind of put that together. Must have freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing.”

 

“It takes some getting used to.” Will offered, “Nice to meet you, Wilson.”

 

“It’s good to meet you, Sam.” Steve added, now that Will was a step in front of him, they took different demeanors, like this was their norm, her squared up to defend him. Then Sam remembered, before the experiment, before the Serum that little woman had been one of Steve’s defenders and caretakers.

 

Steve seemingly done with talking, tapped her left shoulder, then turned to leave, she nodded and followed a beat behind him. “It’s your bed, right?” Sam called out after them both.

 

“What’s that?” Steve asked, turning, Will cocked her head over her shoulder and eyed him.

 

“You're bed. Its too soft. When I was over there, I’d sleep on the ground and use rocks for pillows, like a caveman, now I’m home, lying in my bed, and it’s like…”

 

“A marshmallow.” Will finished for him.

 

“Feels like I’m gonna sink right to the floor.” Steve added. 

 

Sam gave them both a smile as he nodded. 

 

“How long?” Steve asked, uncertain.

 

“Two tours. You must miss the good old days, huh?” Sam asked, carefully.

 

“Well things aren’t so bad. Food’s a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful. I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up.” Steve explained, “She retains it better than me.”

 

Sam laughed, “Marvin Gaye, 1972, “Trouble Man” soundtrack. Everything you’ve missed jammed into one album.”

 

“I’ll put it on the list.” Will pulled a notepad out of her pocket, and scribbled it down. Sam got a look at some of the other things on it, and realized just how much seventy years on ice had cost them. “I Love Lucy” (Television); Moon Landing; Berlin Wall (Up + Down) Steve Jobs (Apple); Disco; Thai Food; Star Wars/Trek (with Star Wars crossed out, indicating that they has seen it); Nirvana (Band); Rocky (Rocky II?) Were all sprawled across the lined paper.

 

Steve drew his phone out of his pocket, as Will handed hers to Sam, “Put your number in, Wilson.”

 

He complied, fingers moving deftly. “Will, we got an alert. Nat sent me a smiley face.” Steve sighed, and looked heavenward. “Alright, Sam, duty calls.” He offered his hand and as they shook he said, “Thanks for the run, it that's what you wanna call running.”

 

“Oh, that's how it is?” Sam huffed.

 

“Oh.” Steve countered, smiling, “That’s how it is.”

 

“Okay, any time you wanna stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know.” He teased, then flushed as Will gave him a dark look, one eyebrow raised.

 

“We’ll keep that in mind.” She promised.

 

“Okay.” Sam gave them both a warm salute.

 

A black sleek car that Sam could never in his life wish to afford pulled up to the curb. As the window rolled down a beautiful redhead smiled at them, “Hey, any of you know where the Smithsonian is? I’m here to pick up a pair of fossils.”

 

“That’s hilarious.” Will shot at her, voice dry, as she stalked towards the car, and pushed the passenger seat up, before climbing into the back, a flash of silver at her ankles. 

 

“How you doing?” Sam called to Natasha as he waved.

 

“Hey.” She winked at him.

 

Steve sighed, “Can’t run everywhere.”

 

“No, no you can’t.” Sam agreed as Steve climbed into the passenger seat.

 

Not even a minute later his phone buzzed, he pulled it out of his pocket.

 

┃[Text from unknown number: Wilson, this is Will, add me :)

 

He blinked at his phone for a long moment before it vibrated again.

 

┃[Text from unknown number: Not kidding, you're cute. Now add me and respond.

┃[Text to unknown number: Thanks? And should I put you as Will or Willamina?

 

He regretted it the moment he sent it, but he needed to know what she was more comfortable with.

 

┃[Text from unknown number: Will, idiot. Good thing you're pretty. :P

 

He shook his head, and added her name quickly, Will Barnes, Lady Liberty, was now in his phonebook, and he reasoned he could text her sporadically, maybe talk her into playing a selfie game, or something.

 

-/-

 

Since they joined SHIELD officially they, and Natasha, had a formal handler - Brock Rumlow. The man was more muscle than brains, but he could control his team better than most. They were flying over the Indian Ocean while he was briefing them, Will looking down at her phone expectantly. She’d sent Sam a spectacular view of the sunset over the ocean, and he’d yet to respond. Their friendship thus far had been a lot of selfies and random observations. 

 

“The target is a mobile satellite launch platform : The Lemurian Star. they sent up their last payload when pirates took them, ninety-three minutes ago.” 

 

Steve sighed, Will pushed her phone into her chest pocket and then looked around, “Any demands?”

 

“A billion and a half.” Brock answered, arms folded over his chest. 

 

“Why so steep?” Steve demanded.

 

Brock leveled them a look, “Because it belongs to SHIELD.”

 

Steve took a moment to look angry, then shot, “So it’s not off-course, it’s trespassing.”

 

“I’m sure they have a good reason.” Nat tried to placate him, but as usual she overlooked the hellcat behind him.

 

“You know, I’m getting a little tired of being Fury’s cleaning crew.” Will hissed.

 

“Relax.” Nat knew it was the wrong way to start the sentence, just by the way Will’s jaw tightened, “It’s not that complicated.”

 

Steve reached back for Will and grasped the back of her neck in a motion he and Bucky had probably done a thousand times back in the ‘40s. She was the more volatile of the three, especially after the experimentation by Zola. Like he knew she would she calmed under his hand, “How many pirates?”

 

“Twenty-five, top mercs, led by this guy. Georges Batroc.” Rumlow pulled up a photo on the monitor, then continued on as Will cocked her head to the side and looked him over, it triggered a memory, but she couldn’t quite place it. “Ex-DGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty-six kill missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties.”

 

“Hostages?” Steve asked, his hand still firm on Will’s neck.

 

“Uh… mostly just techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell.”

 

“We know him.” Will clicked her teeth, “He was there when we broke New York the last time.”

 

Steve nodded, “He needs to be extracted, as do all the hostages.”

 

“They are in the galley.” Rumlow explained.

 

“What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?” Will asked, when no one answered her, she growled, low and gruttal in her throat, eyes rimming red, even as Steve squeezed her neck harder.

 

“Alright, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Will I want you to take the deck and help me find Batroc. Between the two of us, it shouldn’t be hard. Nat, you'll kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to the life-pods, get 'em out. Let's move.”

 

Rumlow nodded, “STRIKE,” The whole team looked to him, “You heard the Cap, gear up.” He ordered.

 

Will checked her com, “Secure channel seven.” Her pocket vibrated.

 

┃[Text from Sammy : That’s amazing, are you on a mission?

┃[Text to Sammy : Sorta?

┃[Text from Sammy : Be safe, Lady Liberty. :)

 

“Seven secure.” Nat hummed, then looked at Steve, “Did you do anything fun on Saturday night?”

 

Steve shrugged, “Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so... No, not really.” Will almost pointed out that they tried tacos, but decided against it, since neither of them were sure they actually liked it. Instead she adjusted the earpiece, as she let the shift slide over her body. 

 

Her alabaster wings stemmed out of her shoulder blades, her uniform backless, save for a strap that ran across her neck, and one that ran just under her ribs. Her claws sharpened, and her fangs dropped. The pilot sounded in all their ears, “Coming up on the drop zone, Cap.”

 

“You know.” Nat started, “If you ask Kristen out, from statistics, she’d probably say yes.”

 

Will wanted to vomit.

 

Steve handled it more gracefully, “That's why I don't ask.”

 

Nat blinked, “Too shy or too scared?”

 

“Too busy!” Steve responded before leaping out the back of the jet, with Will hot on his heels, her wings expanding as she caught him under his arms, although none of the men above them could see.

 

“Was he wearing a parachute?” One of the STRIKE agents asked, alarmed.

 

Rumlow smiled after him, “No, no he wasn’t.”

 

-/-

 

Will dropped him on the starboard side, and glided to her feet not far from him. Together they danced over the deck, swiftly, knocking those they encountered off the side, or disarming them, or knocking them out. They’d made it almost to the portside when a pirate raised a gun at Steve’s face.

 

“Bouge pas! Bouge pas.” The pirate ordered.

 

Before he could get a shot off Rumlow watched in slight love and horror as Will descended on him, ripping his jugular out, blood splaying across the front of Steve’s uniform, then she shoved the man's body over the railing. 

 

The pair jumped to the deck below them. “What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you? She seems kind of nice.” Nat started, as she unclipped from her parachute, and fell into line with Steve and Will.

 

“Secure the engine room, then find me a date.” Steve ordered.

 

“I’m multitasking!” Nat muttered, sounding indulgent, as she jumped over a rail, and crouched down headed towards the engine room. 

 

-/-

 

“STRIKE in position.” Rumlow muttered into the com.

 

“Natasha, what’s you're status?” Steve demanded, eyes meeting Will.

 

“Status, Nat?” Will growled a beat later, when they received no answer.

 

“Engine room secure.” She sounded.

 

Steve visibly relaxed, “On my mark. Three. Two. One.” Steve sounded.

 

The STRIKE team started shooting at the pirates as Rumlow killed the head pirate.Will counted the seconds, fifty-eight, before Rumlow sounded in their ears again, “Hostages en route to extraction. Romanoff missed the rendezvous point, Cap. Hostiles are still in play.”

 

“Nat, Batroc’s on the move.” Steve called out, as he motioned for Will to pass him, “Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages.” When she didn’t reply, “Natasha!” He almost shouted.

 

Steve watched ahead of him, as Batroc slammed into the side of Will, knocking her goggles form her face. Without the vision assistance, Steve knew she had to rely on her other senses. She threw him off, and growled, blood from a cut across the bridge of her nose, dripped down her cheek. She closed her eyes, to Batroc it probably looked like she was giving up. Then she breathed in, and Steve almost turned away, because he knew what was next. She snarled, low, sounding more like the monster he knew she saw herself as, before stepping to the left, then running full speed forward, her from crashing into Batroc, sending them both sprawling at Steve’s feet. 

 

“I thought that you were more than a shield.” Batroc wheezed looking up a Steve, who didn’t miss how he’d called Will a shield, and suddenly he felt nauseous, because she and Bucky were his first shields.

 

“On va voir.” Steve sounded back in French, which made the man under Will gaze uncertain at him.

 

“Up, Will.” Steve ordered, showing at her shoulder slightly, he pressed his shield into her hands as she backed off. He knew how much she hated being blind in a fight, but her vision at night was limited. It was getting worse, if they were being honest. 

 

The fight escalated, with Steve literally smashing Batroc’s body through a wall, where his eyes landed on Natasha as she was downloading something from the computer. “Well, this is awkward.”

 

“What are you doing?” Steve growled. “Will, finish him.” Steve ordered, he hated to admit it, but he couldn’t stand murder, he knew Will could stomach it a little better than him. 

 

Nat didn’t even bother to look up, “Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into.”

 

Will stalked into the room, her broken goggles in one hand as she stumbled over Batroc. “Rumlow needed your help. What the hell are you doing here?” He marched over to Natasha, and sighed when he realized what she was doing, “You’re saving SHIELD intel.”

 

“Whatever I can get my hands on.” She responded immediately.

 

“Our mission is to rescue the hostages.” Steve sighed.

 

“No, that's your mission.” She countered, then pulled the flashdrive out. “And you’ve done it beautifully.” She made a move to walk around him, her eyes landing on Will who was still standing stone faced with her eyes closed, just breathing heavily through her nose. 

 

Steve grabbed her arm. “You just jeopardized this whole operation.” 

 

“I think that’s overstating things.” Natasha started, just as Batroc rose, he tossed a grenade in their direction and made to run, but was stopped short by Will grabbing his neck, and tugging him backwards. She drug him to the ground and sunk her teeth into his neck, as Steve deflected the bomb with his shield and grabbed Natasha, the pair jumping through a window. “Okay, that one’s on me.” 

 

“You're damn right.” Steve snarled, than a panicked expression settled on his face, through the debris he couldn’t see Will, or hear her. “WILL!” Steve screamed.

 

“I’m here.” She snarled. Her wings had shrapnel embedded in them, and her face coated in a fresh layer of blood. “Do you think Tony can make me new goggles?” She asked carefully.

 

┃[Text from Sammy : How was your mission?

┃[Text to Sammy : I broke my goggles.

┃[Text from Sammy : You mean glasses?

┃[Text to Sammy : Sadly, yes.

┃[Text from Sammy : Are you hurt?

┃[Text to Sammy : A bomb might have exploded on me…

┃[Text from Sammy : I need visual confirmation that you're ok.

 

She sent him a picture message, still in her shifted form. Red eyes glowering, and face covered in blood, Steve was trying to pick various shrapnel pieces out of her face. Her wings, slightly folded behind her, and a toothy grin on her face, eyes unfocused. 

 

-/-

 

**The Triskelion**

**SHIELD Headquarters**

 

Steve, with Will in tow, now that Tony had given her another set of glasses, which changed shade as she moved from sunlight to fluorescent lights, with a tap they’d turn into goggles, and according to Tony they could withstand several thousand tons of pressure. Steve had his arm around her shoulders, both dressed in their uniforms still. They’d stopped by Stark’s tower before they’d brought the hostages back. Steve had considered all his options before demanding it, since Natasha’s mission had been the one to jeopardize everything. 

 

“You just can’t stop yourself from lying, can you?” Steve demanded, his fist striking the desk Fury was seated behind.

 

Fury gave him a firm eye roll. “I didn’t lie, Agent Romanoff had a different mission than you two.”

 

“Which you didn’t feel obligated to share.” Steve grumbled.

 

Will felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, she pulled it out and smiled to herself.

 

┃[Text from Sammy : Come to the VA if you can today? :P

 

Fury cleared his throat, drawing her attention up, “I'm not obliged to do anything.”

 

“Those hostages could’ve died, Nick.” Will said, finally.

 

“I sent the two greatest soldiers in history to make sure that didn’t happen.” Nick shot back.

 

“Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns.” Steve pushed back, looking irritated. 

 

Nick looked between them, finally settling his gaze on Will. “The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn’t want either of you doing anything you weren’t comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything.”

 

Steve looked close to pouting, “I can’t lead a mission when the people I’m leading have missions of their own.” He looked at Will, who just shrugged, uninterested. She didn’t like Fury, but she did respect him.

 

“It’s called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all.”

 

“Except you.” Steve argued. 

 

Will just rolled her eyes and pulled her phone back out to type out a message. 

 

┃[Text to Sammy : I’ll see what I can do. Steve’s yelling at our boss again. 

 

Fury led them both into his private elevator. “You're wrong about me, I do share.” He smiled at them, “I’m nice like that.” The doors shut, then he spoke again, “Insight bay.”

 

“Captain Rogers and Private Barnes do not have clearance for Project Insight.” SHIELD’s computer system responded to Fury’s request.

 

Nick rolled his eyes, “Director override, Fury, Nicholas J.”

 

“Confirmed.” Then the elevator started it moved downward. 

 

“Oh, thank god you remembered elevators.” Will sassed, as she raised an eyebrow at Nick.

 

He snorted for a moment, then Steve spoke, “You know, they used to play music.”

 

“Yeah.” Fury agreed, “My grandpappy operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say "hi", people would say hi back. Time went on, neighborhood got rougher. He'd say "Hi", they'd say, "Keep on steppin'." Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter.”

 

Will looked him over, “Did he ever get mugged?”

 

Nick just continued his story, “Every week some punk would say, ‘What’s in the bag?”

 

“What did he do?” Steve wondered.

 

Nick smiled inspote of himself. “He’d show ‘em. Bunch of crumpled ones and a loaded .22 Magnum.” Will gave him a sly smile and Steve just looked him over. “Grandpappy loved people, but he didn’t trust them very much.” As they descended both Will and Steve gapped at the giant Helicarriers. “Yeah, I know, they’re a little bigger than a .22” The elevator came to a stop and he led them both off, offering Will his arm, she linked her arm thorugh his. “This is Project Insight. Three next generations Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites.”

 

“Launched from Lemurian Star.” Will observed. 

 

Nick nodded, “Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines.”

 

Steve sighed, “Stark?”

 

“Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines. These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen.” Fury continued to lead them through the hanger, letting their eyes wander over the machinery.

 

Steve, Will could tell, didn’t like it one bit. “I thought the punishment usually came after the crime.”

 

Fury shook his head, “We can’t afford to wait that long?”

 

“And who exactly is ‘we’?” Will asked.

 

Fury paused for a moment, “After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve.”

 

Steve gave him a signature ‘I-Can’t-Believe-You-Just-Said-That’ look, “ By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection.”

 

Nick looked between the monster on his arm, and the super soldier to his right. “You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff.” Will jerked away from him, a snarl on her lips. “You maybe not as bad as some.” He eyed Steve, choosing to ignore the red bleeding into her eyes.

 

Steve held his hand up to cool her down. “Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear.”

 

Nick let out an exasperated sigh, “SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap.”

 

“Don’t hold your breath, Director.” Steve snapped, “Come on, Will. We are leaving.” She ast Fury a long suffering look, before trailing behind him. 

 

Steve took the motorcycle, he and Will had bought once they moved to Washington DC, with Will wound tight around him, they parked in the garage near the Smithsonian Museum, looked at the plaques outside, with CAPTAIN AMERICA EXHIBIT NOW OPEN posted. Steve pulled the baseball hat down on his head, and pulled his collar up. Will pushed her hand in his, after she pushed all her hair into a beany, and tucked her other hand into the hoodie on her frame. After they made it past security, which had taken longer than they’d like to admit, because her metal legs. 

 

The exhibit was shaped like a crescent, “A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery and sacrifice.” The Narrator started, obviously a high paid voice. “The strongest of his followers, Sergeant James Barnes and Private Will Barnes, a field medic, served as his right and left hand in the most dangerous of battles.”

 

A voice sounded over the PA: “Welcome to the Smithsonian. Visitor information booths are available on the second level.” 

 

Steve took Will’s hand more firmly in his and led her on into the exhibit. “Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare, he took Will Monroe Barnes along with him, one that would transform him into the world’s first super soldier adn one that would lead Mrs. Barnes into a battlefield few women ventured to.” 

 

A smiling little boy recognized them both, he made a wide smile and started to wave, when Steve pressed a finger against his life, the universal sign for ‘shhh’, the boy nodded, but slipped away from his school group to hug both their thighs, she rubbed his head affectionately, and handed him one of the many signed photos they kept with them, and had since Coulson’s death. 

 

Ahead, footage from the war zones in Germany and Russia played. “In this rare footage, everyone’s favorite Warrior, Captain America….” Steve toned it out as he turned, Will with him, ahead of them were mannequins with the uniforms replicated of all the Howling Commandos. Steve front and center, with Bucky’s signature blue jacket and dark brown pants stood to his left, to his right Will in her deep green pants, and faded tweed jacket that had once belonged to Bucky. “Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down Hydra, the Nazi rouge science division.” 

 

The wall at the Smithsonian was beautiful, but craftly wove lies made him grind his teeth together. He looked over the panels, the interactive one that housed Bucky's face on one side, and Will's on the other. The Narrator from the Smithsonian whose voice told their stories in fractures and fissures, spoke startling him, “Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.”

 

Bucky Barnes 1917-1944

Sergeant; Marksman

 

Steve Rogers 1918-1944 *Redacted, Born 1918 -

Captain America

 

Wilhelmina M. Barnes 1924(?)-1944 *Redacted, Born 1927 -

Private; Field Medic; Archer

 

Next to him, Will stood, her face a mask of uncaring, as she wove their fingers together, "We won't find peace, here, Stevie." She hummed to him, her fingers tracing over the 'redactions' and their implications. "I have Tony running scans of the mountain Buck fell off of, if he's there, we will find him." Steve looked side long at the strawberry blonde with victory curls next to him, some things never changed, and her determination was one of them.

 

Together they wandered towards a movie of Peggy being interviewed. “That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve...Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would...who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life.” Steve looked down at the compass that Will had worn around her neck through most of the war, he looked at her as she flicked it open, tears in her eyes. 

 

“Dum Dum did what I asked him to do.” She whispered, as the screen flickered to black, she reached helplessly at the screen, “She looked older there, but happy.”

 

-/-

 

**PEGGY CARTER’S HOUSE**

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

Finding Peggy was easier than either of them thought it should be. They agreed to take turns, unsure if she was up to seeing them both. Steve conceded to let Will go first. She slid into the door, and looked at the woman who wore Peggy’s charming face, but older. “Pegs?” She hummed as she neared the bed.

 

Peggy looked up at her with adoration, “Well, look what the cat drug in.” She teased, as she patted the bedside. 

 

Will settled against the cashmere sheets and took both of Peggy’s hands in hers. “Hello my love.” She smiled at her, “It seems like it hasn’t been that long, but I know it has.” She raised Peggy’s frail hands in hers, and pressed feather light kisses to her knuckles. “Tell me Dum Dum took care of my best doll.”

 

She blushed, “He did, Willie.” She promised. “He did.” Her frail grip tightened, “I never thought I’d get to see you again.” She whispered. “Before I forget and I will, there is something I need to give you. There is a key around my neck, please take it.”

 

Will gave her a confused look, bent forward and kissed her temple, as she gently pulled the golden chain over Peggy’s silver curls. She looked at the key that hung at the end of it. “Now what, dove?”

 

“That desk over there, the bottom drawer on the left, it has a metal box in it, take it. James is alive.” She started to cough, and reached for her water, as the coughing spell cleared, she looked around the room, then looked straight at Will, “Oh, my love you’ve come back to me.”

 

“Yes, my dove I have.” Will cleared her throat, “I’m getting something for you, dove, lay back ok?” She waited until Peggy settled back against the pillows, suddenly very happy that Tony Stark had had the wherewithal to make her read all the literature on Alzheimer's he could find. She unlocked the drawer and drew the metal box out, settled it into her backpack with the key along with it, then sat back on the bed with Peggy. “Now darling, tell me, have you missed me?”

 

“Every single day of my life.” Peggy whispered to her, her fragile hands framing Will’s face. “Oh I’ve loved you. I’ve thought of you.” She huffed. “Had we a daughter we were going to name her after all three of you.” Peggy smiled at her, “I love you Will.”

 

“I love you too, Pegs.” Will tipped forward and kissed Peggy’s lips ever so softly, the smell of clove and cinnamon dancing over her. “Stevie wants to see you, love. I’m going to go threaten those orderlies.” 

 

“Ok darling.” Peggy smiled, as Will stood and slipped out the door. 

 

“Remember, Stevie, sometimes she can’t remember.” Will patted his heart, and made her way down the stairs. Steve took a deep breathe, and threw the door open, before he waltzed in.

 

“You should be proud of yourself, Peggy.” He offered as he looked around the room, her family photos all smiling, up at him.

 

“Mm. I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn’t get to live yours.” Peggy sighed, Steve gave her a sad look. “What is it?”

 

“For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same.” Steve explained. “I don’t even think my Will is the same.”

 

Peggy snorted with laughter. “You're always so dramatic, look, you saved the world. We rather… mucked it up, after.” She folded her hands over her lap.

 

“You didn’t. Knowing that you helped found SHIELD is half the reason I stay.” Steve told her, as he frowned.

 

Peggy took his hand in hers “Hey. The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over.” Peggy started to cough, Steve immediately got her some water and handed it to her, careful of her aged form.

 

“Peggy.” He smiled at her. Peggy looked at Steve like she was seeing him for the first time since he was frozen, and he felt his heart start to sink. He would never be able to stomach how Will could handle seeing Peggy like this.

 

“Steve?” Peggy smiled at him.

 

Steve felt like crying, “Yeah.”

 

“You're alive! You… you came, you came back to me.”

 

“Yeah, Peggy.” Peggy started to cry just as Steve felt his own tears pulling on his lashes. 

 

“It’s been so long. So long.” Peggy shivered.

 

“Well, I couldn’t leave my best girl.” Steve tilted forward to kiss her forehead. “Not when she owes me a dance.” Steve waited until she fell asleep to see himself and Will out. 

 

-/-

 

**SHIELD**

**NICK FURY’S OFFICE**

 

Fury watched as they left, unsure about himself, he had watched his two best soldiers leave, one irritated and the other confused. “Secure office.” Nick ordered. All the windows turned dark, blackened. Fury took the flash drive that Natasha had secured for him out, and plugged it in. He watched as it downloaded all the information from the Lemurian Star. “Open Lemurian Star satellite launch file.”

 

His computer responded, “Access denied.”

 

“Run decryption.” Fury ordered. 

 

His computer responded, “Decryption failed.”

 

“Director override, Fury, Nicholas J.”

 

His computer responded, “Override denied. All files sealed.”

 

“On whose authority.” He growled.

 

His computer responded, “Fury, Nicholas J.”

 

He paled, concerned. “World Security Council.”

 

His computer responded, “Confirmed.”

 

-/-

 

**SHIELD**

**ALEXANDER PIERCE’S OFFICE**

 

Alexander Pierce, SHIELDs security head, was holding a virtual meeting with the World Security Council when Fury found him. “I work forty floors away and it takes a hijacking for you to visit?”

 

‘Well, a nuclear war would do it to.” Nick huffed. They shook hands, as Nick looked over the Council meeting, apparently on pause. “Busy in there?”

 

“Nothing some earmarks can’t fix.” Pierce assured him.

 

Nick looked down for a moment, “I’m, uhm… here to ask a favor. I want you to call for a vote. Project Insight has to be delayed.” He stated, determined.

 

Pierce raised his eyebrow, “Nick, that’s not a favor, that’s a subcommittee hearing. A long one.”

 

Nick nodded. “It could be nothing, probably is nothing. I just need time to make sure it’s nothing.”

 

“What if it’s something?” Pierce asked.

 

“Then we’ll both be damn glad those Helicarriers aren’t in the air.” Nick sighed, imploringly. 

 

Pierce seemed to hesitate before he said, “Fine. But you gotta get Iron Man to stop by my niece's birthday party.”

 

Nick grinned and took his hand, “Sure, and Thank you, sir.” 

 

“Not just a flyby, either, he’s got to mingle.” Pierce watched Fury as he retreated, then he turned back to his meeting. 

 

-/-

 

**WASHINGTON DC**

**VETERANS AFFAIRS CENTER**

 

Deciding to go to the VA wasn’t as hard as Steve thought it would be. Will held his hand, diligently, as they wandered the halls until they stumbled upon Sam’s PTSD group meeting. She smiled as she saw him counselling other veterans. Some of their discussion waffered over to where Steve and Will had posted up by the wall, a female was talking, “The thing is I think it's getting worse. A cop pulled me over last week, he thought I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED.”

 

Sam took a moment to answer, as if collecting thoughts. “Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back. It's our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase or in a little man-purse? It's up to you.”

 

Sam made his rounds saying goodbye to everyone, assuring the vets there he would see them next week, before he made his way over to Steve and Will. “Look who it is. The running man. And the most beautiful girl in the world.” He winked at Will.

 

Steve rolled his eyes as Will winked back, “Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense.”

 

Sam nodded, “Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret.”

 

“You lose someone?” Will asked, her voice soft, and open.

 

Sam nodded, and cleared his throat before talking, “My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission.Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch.”

 

“I’m sorry.” The pair said in unison.

 

Sam shrugged then looked at them both, “After that, I had really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?”

 

Steve looked lost for a moment, “But you're happy now, back in the world?”

 

“Steve.” Will sounded like a mother scolding her child, and her face wore the expression of someone who had dealt with Steve’s shit for an eternity.

 

“Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell, yeah. You thinking about getting out?” He asked, looking between them.

 

“I go where he goes.” Will said with a certainty that made Sam wonder if there was more between the two of him than he could ever hope to have with her, a literal lifetime of memories.

 

Steve gave her a soft sad smile, “No. I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did.” He looked at Sam, as if hoping he had the answer.

 

“Ultimate fighting?” Sam suggested, which made Steve laugh, and Will wrinkle up her nose in distaste. “It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?”

 

“I don’t know.” Steve hummed.

 

Will stepped closer to Sam, “Know a good place to eat, after the day we had we both could use some grub and a little chill.”

 

“She speaks 21st lango!” Sam grinned, “Who taught you that.”

 

“A Russian spy who terrifies me.” She admitted.

 

-/-

 

They ate at a hotdog stand, near the Lincoln monument, and walked the park that they often ran. At the end of the walk, with it starting to get dark, Will and Steve shared a look, the full moon above them. “We are gonna head home, thanks for today man.” Steve smiled at him.

 

“Anytime.” Sam assured him, “Text you later?”

 

Will gave him a wink. “Of course, man.”

 

They took the bike home, winding down now familiar streets. “You know what I don’t miss.” Will huffed as she opened the front lobby door. “The five floor walk up without an elevator back in Brooklyn.” She hummed, “Only three floors here.” She looked back to see him smiling at her.

 

“You like Sam.” Steve teased.

 

“I like girls and boys, Steve.” She deadpanned. “I love you're dick, why wouldn’t I like his? Objectively he’s cute, right? And he doesn’t seem like he expects anything from us. People want pictures with me in my PJs outside of the Triskelion when I’m trying to sneak donuts into Nick’s office at five in the morning.” She grumbled.

 

“Sam does seem like a good person.” Steve agreed. 

 

They darted up the stairs together, as they turned down their hallway, they could hear the ‘nurse’ next door to them talking as she was headed to do laundry. “That’s so sweet. That is so nice.” She stopped when she sawy both Steve and Will . “Hey, I gotta go, though. Okay, bye. I love you!” She smiled at them, “My aunt, she’s kind of an insomniac.” Steve smiled at her, as Will walked past them to unlock the door. “Yeah.”

 

“Hey, if you want… you're welcome to use our machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the basement.” Steve offered.

 

She gave him a strange look, “Oh, yeah? What’s it cost?”

 

“A cup of coffee?” Steve offered.

 

Will rolled her eyes and pushed toward the door, just as the neighbor offered an excuse, “Thank you, but um...I already have a load in downstairs, and, uh...you really don't want my scrubs in your machine. I'm just finished orientation in the infectious diseases ward, so.”

 

Steve nodded, thinking about all the nights Sarah would come home and immediately take all her clothing off, and sometimes throw her nursing uniforms out. “Ah, well, I’ll keep my distance.”

 

“Well hopefully not too far.” Neighbor started. Will was frozen at the slightly ajar door, the sound of the stereo playing. “Oh, I think you left your stereo on.” She offered, looking at Will who was now rigid. 

 

Steve looked at Will, then back at his neighbor, “Oh. Right, thank you.”

 

Once she disappeared, Steve inched into the door, crouched low, with Will behind him, her .9 mm drawn and ready to fire. They found Fury sitting on their couch in the darkness. Will could smell his blood, she tucked her gun into the back of her pants, and kneeled at his side, looking at the wound. “You're shot.” She mouthed at him. 

 

“I don’t remember giving you a key.” Steve sighed.

 

“You think I’d need one?” Nick tried for teasing, “My wife kicked me out.”

 

Steve glowered, “I didn’t know you were married.” Will had pressed her hand to Fury’s side, tears in her eyes, as she fought the hunger that was rising inside her. 

 

Nick hummed, “A lot of things you don’t know about me.” 

 

“I know, Nick.” Steve hummed. “That’s the problem.” He flicked the light on to see Will’s hand covered in blood as it was pressed to Nick’s side, her eyes red in color, and his whole body looking beaten and bruised. Steve looked ready to say something, but Fury raised his finger to his mouth, and tapped out a message on his phone.

 

│ears everywhere

 

“I’m sorry to have to do this, but I have no place else to crash.” Nick huffed, as he wrote again.

 

│SHIELD compromised

 

“Who else knows about your wife?” Steve asked aloud.

 

│you and me

 

“Just… my friends.” Nick said as he turned the phone back to him.

 

“Is that what we are?” Steve asked, cryptically.

 

“That’s up to you.” Nick started to type something else out as three bullets broke through the wall, and through Fury. Will snarled, as Nick collapsed, she drug Fury into the next room, and untucked her gun. Fury caught Steve’s hand in his, and pressed a flash drive into it. “Don’t… trust anyone but… each other.” He passed out, as the front door burst open, his neighbor marching in with her own gun drawn. 

 

“Captain Rogers?” His neighbor approached them, “Captain, I'm Agent 13 of SHIELD Special Service.”

 

“Kate?” Steve muttered, looking between Will and his neighbor. 

 

“Told you she was an Agent.” Will hissed as she stood, stretching her arms above her head. She peaked out the window, as a bullet clipped her shoulder. “Fuck.” She snarled. 

 

Agent 13 dropped down next to Nick, and pulled a radio out, “Foxtrot down, he’s unresponsive. I need EMTS.” She looked up at Steve and Will, “Do you have a twenty on the shooter.”

 

“Tell him we are on it.” Steve growled, as movement caught his attention. He nodded at Will, as he grabbed his shield, she dove through the window first, her wings unfurling behind her as Steve jumped out next, shield in front of him.

 

The assassin took off in a sprint, with Steve chasing him on foot, and Will flying above them. They chased him through and office building, knocking walls down in their wake, as they finally reached him on the rood two buildings over, Steve threw his shield, the man caught it with a shiny metal hand, locked eyes with Steve, then threw it back at him. Will shot the assassin in the thigh, before free falling towards him, claws outstretched and mouth opened, the metal arm came up swiftly, striking her across the face, and sending her flying backwards into Steve. 

 

The metal armed man jumped off the roof, and vanished, as Will pushed up to her knees, Steve’s palm cut where he’d caught the shield when the man had thrown it back at him. Steve pulled her to her feet, and the pair headed back the way they came. Will’s nose twitched, as the familiar smell hit her senses. She couldn't place the smell of aspen and pine, but she knew without a doubt it was important to her. It wasn’t until they were headed to the hospital that it resonated with her,  _ Bucky. _

 

-/-

 

**HOSPITAL**

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

They stood against the window, looking in as doctors worked on Nick. “Is he gonna make it?” Nat whispered, she felt Steve’s arm as it pressed against hers, and Will’s arms circle her waist. 

 

“I don’t know.” Steve whispered back, usure.

 

“Clint didn’t answer, but I left a voicemail.” Will hummed.

 

“Tell me about the shooter.” She looked between them, Will’s head against her head and Steve’s face over hers, as he gazed into the operating room. 

 

“He’s fast and strong. Had a metal arm.” Steve had just finished when Maria Hill joined them.

 

“Ballistics?” Nat lifted her head, where her cheek had rested against Will’s head.

 

“Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable.” Maria sighed.

 

“Soviet-made.” Nat declared.

 

“Yeah.” Maria hummed, as Fury seemed to take a turn for the worse.

 

“CRASH CART COMING IN.” A nurse bounded past them.

 

“BP IS DROPPING.” Another sounded.

 

Will bit her bottom lip until blood dripped. “DEFIBRILLATOR!” The doctor ordered. “I want you to charge him at one hundred.”

 

Nat pressed her head against the glass, “Don’t do this to me, Nick.” 

 

“Stand back!” The doctor ordered, “Three, Two, One, Clear.” They watched as the machine shocked Fury. “Pulse?” The nurse next to him shook her head, maybe she spoke no one noticed. “No pulse.” He paused, “Okay, 200. Please, stand back! Three, Two, One. Clear!” The shock bolted through him. “Give me epinephrine! Pulse?”

 

“Negative.” The nurse sounded back.

 

“Don’t do this to me, Nick. Don’t do this to me.” They pressed closer, Steve turned away as they called Fury’s time of death. Steve looked down at the USB drive in his hand. He watched as Will slipped out of sight, he knew she didn’t say goodbyes - she never had, he doubted that she had attended her parent’s funeral, actually.

 

Will on the other hand, was itching to call the lie - she could hear Fury’s heart, the trump trump of life. She looked at Maria who shook her head at Will. Just another secret to keep from Steve she chewed at her lip but nodded as she passed Maria. Several moments later, looking down at Fury’s body, Nat was openly crying, as Maria posted up behind him. “I need to take him.” She was pleading with Steve. 

 

“Natasha.” Steve whispered, as she gently touched Fury, then whirled to leave. “Natasha!” Steve called after her, hurrying to follow her.

 

“Why was he in you're apartment.” Nat demanded.

 

“I don’t know.” Steve lied to her.

 

Will took a step away, before Rumlow could see her, she disappeared down the back highway. 

 

“Cap, they want you back at SHIELD.” Rumlow ordered.

 

“Yeah, give me a second!” Steve shouted back.

 

“They want you now.” Rumlow called out.

 

“Okay.” Steve turned to Natasha.

 

“You are a terrible liar.” With that she stalked away.

 

Steve sighed as he watched her go, eyes landing on a vending machine, he checked to make sure that Rumlow couldn’t see him as he stashed the USB drive in it. “Let’s go!” Steve made his way back to Rumlow.

 

“Yeah.” Rumlow smiled. “STRIKE, move out!”

 

-/-

 

While Steve was hauled into SHIELD to be interviewed, she hid, then followed the scent trail. Her form twisted and not one hundred percent human or one hundred percent vampire either. She waited until the agents were gone, before climbing down and following the trail of darkness. 

 

_ Bucky _ .

 

The thought resonated so loudly inside her, she was hardwired to seek him or Steve out. 

 

The problem was his nose was as good, maybe even better than her nose. He’d led her to a brick enclosed alleyway. “Bucky?” She whispered, the man with the metal arm whirled to face her. Familiar orbs looked at her, empty - dark. “Oh.” She whispered, as he advanced on her.

 

She started to take a step back, but couldn’t. Her body was frozen, conflicted.

 

He slammed into her, knocking her to the ground, his metal hand curled around her left wing, his grip tightening. She let out a startled scream, before shoving at him with her hands and knees. She felt the blade sink into her side, before he released her. 

 

She looked down at the knife, as he disappeared, and she crawled to her feet. She let out a startled laugh. The knife embedded in her side belonged to Howard Stark once, but before that, it belonged to her. It had been her father’s from the first world war. She’d put it in Howard’s hands right before Bucky died. She touched it reverently, a choked noise rising from her throat.

 

That’s when his foot collided with her jaw, her head cocked backwards, she met his eyes, and whispered, “Its ok, Bucky, I’m with you, till the end of the line, jerk.” 

 

His fist stopped inches from her face. “What?” He snarled at her.

 

“Remember me.” She begged, instead he turned and ran. She collapsed into the pavement, falling against the bricks and dumpsters. She let out a shaky breath, and looked down at the knife, she yanked it free from her side. Letting out a yelp, then held the blade in her hands. “Oh, Bucky, what did you do?” She couldn’t stop looking at the knife in her hand, as tears started to pool in her lap. She slipped into the darkness. 

 

-/-

 

**SHIELD**

**ALEXANDER PIERCE’S OFFICE**

 

Back at SHIELD, Rumlow escorted Steve to Pierce, who was talking lowly to Agent 13. “For whatever it’s worth.” Pierce had his hand on Sharon Carter’s shoulder, “You did you're best.” He soothed.

 

“Thank you sir.” She nodded. She saw Steve, “Captain Rogers.” She nodded at him.

 

“Neighbor.” He grumbled back, not looking at her. 

 

“Ah, Captain. I’m Alexander Pierce.” 

 

“Sir, it’s an honor.” They shook hands. 

 

“Sad to see Private Barnes not with you.” He peered around Steve.

 

Steve sighed, “I don’t know where she is actually, she doesn’t handle loss well.”

 

“Ah, well. The honor is mine, Captain. My father served in the 101st. Come on in.” Pierce led him into his office, where Steve noticed a photo of Nick with Pierce. “That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met. When I was at State Department in Bogota. ELN rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the rebels took hostages. Nick was deputy chief for the SHIELD station there. And he comes to me with a plan. He wants to storm the building through the sewers. I said, "No, we'll negotiate." Turned out the ELN didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what did they find? They find it empty. Nick had ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil. He saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter.”

 

“So you gave him a promotion.” Steve guessed, curious.

 

“I’ve never had any cause to regret it. Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?”

 

Steve gazed at him, “I don’t know.”

 

“You know it was bugged?”

 

“I did, because Nick told me.” Steve decided. 

 

Pierce nodded, “Did he tell you he as the one who bugged it?” Steve didn’t reply. “I want you to know something. Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star and he was contacted by e-mail and paid by wire transfer. And then the money was run through seventeen fictitious accounts, the last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech.”

 

Steve raised an eyebrow, “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

 

Pierce handed him a file. “Not likely, Veech died six years ago. His last address was 14-35 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick his mother lived at 14-37.”

 

“Fury hired pirates.” Steve deadpanned, “Why?”

 

“The prevailing theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death.” Pierce concluded.

 

“If you really knew Nick Fury, you’d know that’s not true.” 

 

“Why do you think we're talking? See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to but because Nick asked me to, because we were both realists. We knew that despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies. Those people that call you dirty because you got the guts to stick your hands in the mud and try to build something better. And the idea that those people could be happy today, makes me really, really angry,” He paused for a moment, “Captain, you were the last one to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident, and I don't think you do either. So I'm gonna ask again, why was he there?”

 

“He told me not to trust anyone.” Steve settled on.

 

“I wonder if that included him.” 

 

Steve paused for a long moment. “I’m sorry. Those were his last words. Excuse me.” Steve stood, he attached his shield to his back and started to leave the office.

 

“Captain.” Pierce stopped him. “Somebody murdered my friend and I’m gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they’re gonna regret it. Anyone.”

 

“Understood.” Steve nodded. He quickly headed to the elevator, he pulled his phone out and texted Will. “Operations control.” He told the elevator.

 

“Confirmed.” The elevator toned. 

 

┃Text To Will: Where are you?

┃Text To Will: Something up with Shield.

┃Text from Will: Be safe, Steve.

 

A beat later, Brock Rumlow stepped into the elevator, with his earpiece alive with activity. “Keep all STRIKE personnel on site.” Then he spoke to the elevator. “Forensics.”

 

“Confirmed.” The elevator toned. 

 

Brock smiled at Steve, “Cap.”

 

“Rumlow.” The elevators closed, and they started going down again.

 

Rumlow held his gaze, “Evidence Response found some fibers on the roof they wanted us to see. You want me to get the tac-team ready? Do you have location on Will?”

 

“No, let’s wait and see what it is first. And Will is MIA.” Steve responded.

 

“Right.” Steve looked at the other agents who had bored with Rumlow. One kept letting his fingers dance over his weapon. The elevator stopped to let another group of people in. This one comprised of equal numbers of SHIELD and STRIKE agents. 

 

One spoke, “Administrations level.”

 

“Confirmed.” The elevator toned. 

 

Rumlow watched them, “I'm sorry about what happened with Fury. Messed up, what happened to him.”

 

“Thank you.” Steve felt off, something was wrong, he did a quick glance around the elevator, several were sweating, and more than one had hands on their weapons already. The elevator stopped again, and a new series of agents climbed in.

 

“Records.” One of them ordered.

 

“Confirmed.” The elevator toned. 

 

Steve realized, uncomfortably, that he was surrounded completely by agents. For the first time in over an hour he wished that Will was on his six, because this was going to get bad, and fast. Steve inhaled, “Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?” Then it was chaos, one of them used a magnetic cuff, and managed to get his hand trapped against the elevator’s metal brazing. Rumlow shocked him, multiple times. Steve punched Rumlow in the chest. Around them most of the agents were already knocked out. 

 

“Whoa, big guy. I just want you know know, Cap, this ain’t personal.” Rumlow then moved to strike him with the electric rod, but was stopped by Steve punching him again, Rumlow dropped hard. 

 

“It kind of feels personal.” Steve grumbled as he pried the elevator door open. Ahead of him, a tactical team was waiting for him. “Drop the shield! Put your hands in the Air!” Steve used the shield to break off the elevator wires which sent it spiralling down. Unsure, he broke through the glass, and dropped out the glass. He landed in the garage and took off running, with a Quinjet behind him. 

 

-/-

 

**SAM WILSON’S HOUSE**

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

Will stumbled through the darkened neighborhood, holding her side, one wing almost dragging the ground as she stumbled. She inhaled, searching for Sam’s scent. It didn’t take long to pick up the citrus and coconut smell that she associated with him. When she got to the house, she inhaled deep, before sneaking around the back, and clambering into one of the back windows that had been left open. Her side bleeding she struggled to stand, before face planting in his bed, the comforting scent of a friend flowing through her veins. 

 

That’s how Sam found her hours later. Sam Wilson found Will Barnes half dead in his bed. “Will?” His voice sounded high pitched, as he dropped his groceries and rushed forward. He rolled her over. “Will?”

 

“Hungry.” She moaned, her fangs protruding. He looked her over, her side was covered in blood, but as he picked the shirt up it seemed like it was already healing, in her other hand, curled ot her chest, was a knife. 

 

“Can I have that?” He pulled it free from her grasp and looked at her face, bloodied. “Hungry for what, Will?”

 

“Blood.” She whined.

 

Sam shivered, as he moved to hold her more closely to his chest, ignoring the fact that his sheets were tinged with blood. When she was carefully cradled in his arms, he kissed her forehead. “Darling, you can bite me.” He whispered, her eyes fluttered open, and he swallowed. She looked concerned. “I trust you.” 

 

He didn’t have time to rethink it, as she carefully pushed himself up, her nostrils flaring as she focused in on his pressure point of his neck, she sank her teeth into his artery, and hummed, as blood flowed into her mouth. Sam felt a moan fall from his own lips, as she drank greedily.

 

He lost track of time.

 

When she pulled back from him he was light headed. “Sam.” She managed. “Sam.” She said a little more forcefully. “You need to get up, I need to change the sheets, I need to feed you. I’ve never… drank from anyone other than Steve or Bucky.” She whispered, as she pulled him to his feet.

 

Sam thought he was on autopilot as she cooked him food, still covered in her blood and concerned. She made sure he ate, before she cleaned his bed off, then she looked him over. “You need to shower, so do I. I don’t think that you can stand on your own. You're not enhanced and I think I took too much.”

 

Sam felt her helping him to his feet, then they were in his bathroom. It was unfair how quickly she recovered once she had blood in her. He felt her undress him, strong arms holding him up, he felt the spray of water as it cascaded down his front, then he felt her climb in behind him. “Sam?” Her voice drew him to her, drew him out of his haze.

 

“Yeah?” He whispered.

 

“Have you had this mark all your life?” She ran her fingers over the light swirl of his birthmark that ran from his hipbone up his ribs. She was still holding him up for the most part, but now his eyes were focused on her. The water in the base of the tub ran pink with blood and soap.

 

“Yeah.” He grinned. “My mother used to tell me it was beautiful because I didn’t like it.” Sam blinked, more awake then. “You're so beautiful.”

 

“You're delirious, Sammy.” She grinned at him, and moved closer, wrapping her arms more securely around his chest. “But I appreciate it.” She kissed his neck, over where she had bit it. He shivered in her arms.

 

“Stay with me.” He begged, once she had washed them both off, then dried them off, and rounded up sweats for him, as she found one of his much larger than her t-shirts to sleep in. She’d made his bed up while he had eaten, now she was tucking him into bed, as he whispered again, “Stay with me.”

 

“Ok, Sam.” She promised, and climbed into bed next to him. Laying her head on his shoulder. “I’ll stay.” It was an easy promise, one that seemed to settle things, for now. She woke up to him moaning in his sleep. She shot upright in the dark, blinking for a few moments, until she could pick out his steady heartbeat. She moved carefully. “Sam?”

 

“Riley…” His voice sounded tortured.

 

She buried her face against his neck. “Sammy, it’s just a bad dream.” She promised, as she pulled back, and kissed his lips. She continued to press gentle kisses on his face as he started to stir.

 

“Will?” He whined into the darkness.

 

She smiled down at him. “I stayed, like you asked.”

 

Sam let out a shaky breath.

 

“You want to talk about it?” She asked, low.

 

“Can I kiss you?” He avoided the subject.

 

Will pressed her lips to his, determined, then pulled back. “I saw a ghost tonight.” She kissed him again, softer, “Someone who used to love me, but he didn’t even know me, Sam.” She kissed him again, as she moved to straddle him. “He has this mark on his side too, like me.” She raised the t-shirt, to show him a swirl of dark pink splotches up her side. “Same as Steve.”

 

Sam let out a gasp, as she bit back down on his neck, the same spot she had bit the night before. “What are you saying?” Sam asked, still groggy.

 

“It's a soulmark, an old fashioned idea even when I was growing up in the ‘30s.” She explained. “The idea that people are linked so deep in their souls, and that those links have a physical manifestation.” She explained. “The people whose mark matches yours…” She explained, “Are the people that fate has destined you to be with.” She smiled, “Peggy also wore it.” She had a sad smile on her face. 

 

Sam frowned, pulled her down more securely onto his chest, and settled his cheek against her forehead. “Riley was my wingman.” He started. “I watched him die.” He shivered, as she ran her fingers over his chest, letting her nails gently scrape against his darker flesh. “I couldn’t… save him…”

 

“All the Commandos are dead, now.” She offered him to the darkness. “The man I’m married to, the man who was a POW with me, who suffered along side me, who fought at Steve’s right…” She nuzzled closer to him, as his hand settled at the base of her spine, her cold metal legs against his flesh. “He’s alive, and I can’t… I can’t tell Steve, not yet, because… because it would break him.”

 

“Bucky is his soulmate?” Sam asked the darkness.

 

He felt her snort. “Our soulmate.” She offered, “Steve, me, Bucky - we were like a continuous circuit, and you… you're one of ours now.” She explained, “But I can’t tell Steve that, not now.”

 

“Not with Bucky so close?” Sam offered as he ran fingers through her hair.

 

“He’s not himself.” She huffed.

 

“He might never be again.” Sam told her, “But I won’t tell him.”

 

She pressed a kiss to his lips, tangled her arms around his neck, and curled into him like a cat, like she owned him, and he supposed in her mind now she did to some degree. As she lapped at his bottom lip, he opened to give her entrance, it was like she was savoring every taste of him, and he wondered if she was, committing him to memory, as his hands held her to him. They fell back asleep after making out until almost dawn, he left her in his bed, and went for a run, amazed that his neck had already started to heal.

 

-/-

 

**HOSPITAL**

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

Steve took a lot longer than he wanted to to dress like a civilian, pulling the hoodie over his head, he darted back towards the hospital to retrieve the flash drive. He slid around the corner to see the flash driving missing from the vending machine. Behind him Natasha appeared, chewing gum. Steve whirled, grabbed her shoulders and shoved her into the room across from them. “Where is it?”

 

“Safe.” Natasha declared.

 

“Do better.” Steve demanded. 

 

“Where did you get it?” Nat asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Why would I tell you?” Steve growled.

 

Nat eyed him, “Fury gave it to you. Why?”

 

“What’s on it?” Steve growled. 

 

“I don’t know.” Nat responded, honest. 

 

“Stop lying!” Steve growled.

 

“I only act like I know everything, Rogers. Will knows more than me!” She countered.

 

“I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn’t you?” Steve demanded.

 

“Well, it makes sense.” She sighed. “The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you.”

 

Steve glared, “I’m not gonna ask you again.”

 

“I know who killed Fury.” Nat finally said. “Most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists, the ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He’s credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years.”

 

“So he’s a ghost story.” Steve growled. 

 

Nat shrugged, as Steve backed up a little. “Five years ago I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff, I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer, so he shot him straight through me.” She pulled her shirt up to reveal a scar. “Soviet slug, no rifling. Bye-bye bikinis.”

 

“Yeah.” Steve snorted, “I bet you look terrible in them now.” 

 

Nat smiled softly, “Going after him is a dead end. I know, I;ve tried.” She held the flash drive up for Steve. “Like you said, he’s a ghost story.” Steve took the drive.

 

“Well, let’s find out what the ghost wants.” Steve declared. 

 

-/-

 

**MALL**

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

The pair found themselves at a mall, pretending to be a civilian couple. “First rule of going on the run is, don’t run. Walk.” Nat told him as they made their way toward the Apple Store. Steve, now redressed by Natasha in clothes he was pretty sure belonged to Clint, was following along beside her.

 

“If I run in these shoes, they’re gonna fall off.” Steve hissed as they ducked into the Apple Store. 

 

Nat smiled as they found the laptops. “The drive has a Level Six homing program, so as soon as we boot up, SHIELD will know exactly where we are.”

 

“How much time do we have?” Steve asked, softly. 

 

Nat looked at the computer, then blew a bubble, “Uh...about nine minutes from…” She pushed the flash drive into the MacBook. “Now.” she clicked away at the computer. “Fury was right about the ship. Somebody’s trying to hide something. This drive is protected by some sort of AI, it keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands.” Nat muttered, irritated.

 

“Can you override it?” Steve hovered over her shoulder, but still took time to glance around the store. His phone vibrated in his pocket, he pulled it out to see a message from Will.

 

┃Text from Will: I’m secure.

┃Text from Will: Clint is w/me. 

 

Steve smiled faintly. Will was smart enough to get Clint on her for cover. Natasha spoke, pulling his attention back to the problem at hand. “The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me.” Steve raised and eyebrow. “Slightly.” She wagged a finger at him. “I’m gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that SHIELD developed to track hostile malware, so if we can’t read the file, maybe we can find out where it came from.”

 

Before Steve could answer an Apple employee walked up to them, “Can I help you guys with anything?”

 

Natasha gave the man a small smile around Steve’s broad form. “Oh, no. My fiance was helping me with some honeymoon destinations.”

 

“Right!” Steve sounded off, “We’re getting married.” He drapped his arm around her shoulders and gave the employee a large grin. 

 

“Congratulations.” The man responded in kind, peaking at the computer. “Where do are you guys thinking about going?”

 

Steve looked at the computer, and felt his whole body tense. “New Jersey.” If Will or Bucky could have heard him, both would have been rolling in laughter. The trio hated Jersey, every single visit there in their youth had ended with black eyes and ripped dresses.

 

“Oh.” The employee gave Steve a strange look, before smiling again. “I have the exact same glasses.” He pointed to the fake glasses Steve was wearing as part of his disguise. 

 

“Wow, you two are practically twins.” Nat hummed, her voice full of amusement.

 

“Yeah, I wish.” The Employee sighed. “Specimen.” He muttered under his breath as he looked Steve over. “Ig you guys need anything, I’ve been Aaron.”

 

“Thank you.” Steve nodded. “You said nine minutes, come on.” Steve whispered once Aaron was completely out of earshot, he grabbed Nat’s wrist and started to tug on her.

 

“Shh, relax.” Nat shot back. “Got it.” She pulled the flash drive out and pocketed it. “Wheaton, NJ - you know it?”

 

“I used to.” Steve paled. “Let’s go.” They walked out of the store, huddled close together. “Standard tac-team.” Steve whispered. “Two behind, two across, two coming straight at us. If they make us, Ill engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro.” Steve ordered as two agents neared them.

 

“Shut up and put your arm around me. Laugh at something I’ve said.” She ordered back.

 

“What?” Steve was confused.

 

“Do it!” She snapped. Steve did so quickly, ducking into her personal space to laugh. They made it to the escalators, where another set of Agents were close. “Kiss me.”

 

“What?” Steve groaned.

 

“Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.” Nat retaliated.

 

“Yes, they do.” Steve agreed as she pulled Steve down, and kissed him hard on the mouth. 

 

“You still uncomfortable?” Nat teased as they both climbed off the escalator.

 

Steve gave her a questioning look. “It’s not exactly the world I would use.”

 

-/-

 

**SAM WILSON’S HOUSE**

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

Sam came home from his morning run to find a man he didn’t know sprawled across his couch, and Will sitting on his kitchen island, a new looking phone in hand and bluetooth in her ear. “Maria, what the fuck!” 

 

“At this point I’m not sure, the line isn’t secure.” Maria sounded back, loud enough Sam could hear her as he neared the angry superhero.

 

“Point.” Will shot back. “I’ll not mention it then. Steve and Nat are MIA. Clint and I are deepcover, ok?”

 

“Ok.” Maria ended the call as Will smiled at Sam.

 

“Trouble at work?” Sam asked, as he looked around his apartment.

 

“Clint brought provisions.” She stated. “Clint Barton, Sam Wilson. Sam Wilson, Clint Barton.”

 

“Nice to meet you.” Clint grumbled.

 

“He had a long night.” She managed, before pulling the earpiece out and making grabby hands at Sam, she drew him into her arms. “Thanks for letting me and my spy friend crash here.”

 

“I’ve got so many questions.” Sam muttered, before he could get the first one out, however, she kissed him softly. “But they can wait.” He promised against her lips. “How.” He kissed her. “Long.” Another kiss. “Are.” Another kiss. “You.” Kiss. “Gonna.” Kiss. “Be.” Kiss. “Here?” He kissed her nose as he pulled back.

 

She looked thoughtfully at him. “Until I find the other two members of my team, sort out the problem, and kill whoever killed Nick Fury.”

 

“So a day or two.” Clint sounded from the couch, ‘Hey man, you got lucky charms or cable?”

 

Sam grinned, “I have both.”

 

-/-

 

**WHEATON, NEW JERSEY**

**ABANDONED MILITARY BASE**

 

The truck Steve had hotwired wasn’t the fastest thing around, but it was nondescript. “Where did Captain America learn how to steal a car?” Nat asked him.

 

“Nazi Germany.” He muttered, which was half true. He’d learned in Brooklyn, with Will and Bucky teaching him, but he’d only put it into action himself in Nazi Germany.

 

“Mm.” Nat gave him a questioning smile, as she put her feet against the dash.

 

Steve was really starting to wonder if they could be friends, she reminded him of Peggy in some ways. “And we’re borrowing. Take your feet off the dash.” She complied easily enough. “You know, it's kinda hard to trust someone when you don’t know who that someone really is.”

 

Nat gave him a flirtatious smile. “Yeah. Who do you want me to be?” She asked, coy.

 

“How about a friend.” Natasha laughed in a soft way, and Steve sighed.

 

“Well, there’s a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers.” She offered as they pulled up to an abandoned military base. “The file came from these coordinates.”

 

“So did I.” Steve sighed. They parked and both climbed out of the truck, they spent most of the afternoon walking around the base trying to pinpoint where the single was coming from. “So did Will, this camp is where we were trained.”

 

“Changed much?” Nat asked.

 

“A little.” Steve was fighting memories of his former self running past him with Will, he could see himself clear as day getting the flag down, he could still hear Sergeant Duffy shouting in his ears, and he could smell Colonel Philips drinking, and hear Eriksen’s laugh when Will cracked him up. 

 

Nat drew him from his memories. “This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off.” She looked up to see Steve looking at a building ahead of them. “What is it?” She asked as he took off toward it, a look of intrigue on his face.

 

“Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place.” Steve knocked the lock off with his shield and pushed the heavy doors open. Steve found the light switch, and flipped it, revealing an office.

 

“This is SHIELD.” Nat whispered, as her eyes danced over the emblem on the wall.

 

“Maybe where it started.” As they moved through the room he paused in front of three very familiar faces. 

 

“There’s Stark's Father.” Nat pointed to Howard Stark’s photo, it sat to the left of Peggy’s, and to the right of her was Colonel Phillips. 

 

“Howard.” Steve corrected, “Will used to call him Howie.”

 

“Who's the girl?” Nat asked, curiously as she peered at the woman. 

 

Steve didn’t respond, instead he walked further down the wall, stopping when he felt a breeze. He looked at the bookshelf and sighed, “If you're already working in a secret office.” He pushed the bookshelves and sold them open to reveal and elevator. “Why do you need to hide the elevator.” He opened the metal grate and let Nat climb in first, he followed, as they went down to the basement.

 

“Is that a computer?” Nat muttered, “This can’t be the gata-point, this technology is ancient.” She swept her eyes over the room, landing on a small flash drive port. She walked toward it, and pushed the drive into it. The computer around them blinked to life. 

 

“Initiate system?” The computer asked, on it’s dust covered screen.

 

Nat bent over the keyboard, her hands moving as she spoke. “Y-E-S, spells yes.” She smiled as the old computer started to crank more loudly. “Shall we play a game?” She asked Steve, then paused, “It’s from a  movie that…”

 

“Will and I saw it.” Steve shook the thoughts of SAW out of his head, and looked around the room. 

 

Instead of the computer talking, again, or rather asking via screen, Dr. Arnim Zola’s voice danced around them, for Steve it was a nasty blast from the past, and he was thankful Will wasn’t there to hear it. “Rogers, Steve. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984.” Both of them registered an old camera moving above them as if it was analyzing them.

 

“It’s some kind of a recording.” Nat muttered. 

 

Zola spoke again, his voice holding the same condescending nature Steve could remember, “I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am.” The screen showed them a picture of Zola when he was younger.

 

“Do you know this thing?” Nat asked, incredulously.

 

“Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He’s been dead for years.” Steve responded, honestly.

 

“First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.” Zola countered.

 

“How did you get here?” Steve demanded, wondering if he should make it known that he’d already called Will, the phone in his pocket had her on the other end, no doubt listening and seething with rage.

 

“Invited.” Computer Zola spat.

 

“It was Operation Paperclip, after World War II, SHIELD recruited German scientist with strategic value.” Nat explained to Steve, who felt like once again, the world he’d come to accept had been splintered under him.

 

“They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own.” Zola explained.

 

“HYDRA died with the Red Skull.” Steve watched with curiosity and distrust as Zola flashed a picture of scientist working for Operation PaperClip.

 

“Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.” Next to Zola in the picture, whose face now sported the red symbol of HYDRA the symbol appeared on the next two scientist.

 

“Prove it.” Steve ordered.

 

The computer whirled around them again, making a loud clunking noise as Zola spoke, “Accessing Archive.” The computer screen showed them old footage of Red Skill, then how the original Shield founders came together. “HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded, and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew, a beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed.”

 

“That’s not possible.” Nat decallred. “SHIELD would have stopped you.”

 

“Accidents will happen.” The computer screen flashed the death of both Howard and Maria Stark. “HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is completed, HYDRA’s new world order will arise. We won, Captain. You're death amounts to the same as your Life, a zero sum.” 

 

In anger Steve smashed he computer screen.

 

“As I was saying…” Computer Zola sounded from behind them. 

 

“What’s on the drive?” Steve demanded.

 

The computer took a moment, and Steve could vividly see the image in his mind of Zola gathering his thoughts. “Project Insight requires insight. So i wrote an algorithm.”

 

Nat made a grunt, “What kind of algorithm? What does it do?” She demanded. 

 

Zola responded, “The answer to you're question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.” The doors around them closed. 

 

Nat looked at her phone, “Steve, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops.” 

 

Steve felt helpless, “Who fired it?”

 

“SHIELD.” Nat almost whispered.

 

“I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it, it’s better this way. We’re both of us, out of time…”

 

-/-

 

**ALEXANDER PIERCE’S HOUSE**

**WASHINGTON DC, AREA**

 

Pierce at home was relieved the day was over. He entered the kitchen to get a drink, he almost jumped when he saw the Winter Soldier behind him with a gun on the table. His housekeeper called out, “I;m going to go, Mr. Pierce, you need anything before I leave?”

 

“No.” He called back. “Uh… It’s fine, Renata, you can go home.” 

 

Renata called back, “Okay, night-night.” As she headed out the house.

 

“Good night.” Renata closed the door behind her. “Want some milk?” Pierce asked the Winter Soldier who didn’t move or reply. “The timetable has moved. Our window is limited. Two targets. Level six.” He poured himself a glass of milk and joined the Winter Soldier at the table. “They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours.” Before he could continue, Renata interrupted them as she walked into the kitchen.

 

“Sorry, Mr. Pierce… I, I forgot my phone.” She looked at the Soldier, eyes widened in fear.

 

“Oh, Renata.” He sighed, “I wish you would have knocked.” He picked the gun up and shot Renata. “Clean that up, would you.” He demanded, looking at the Winter Soldier. 

 

-/-

 

**SAM WILSON’S HOUSE**

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

Will geared up with an easy effort, so did Clint, Sam had headed to work at the VA for the day. “We are going to do some scouting.” Will told Clint in a soft voice. “Just look around the building without getting caught. After what I heard last night, I think it is safe to say, I am a target.”

 

“And you pulled me into this mess.” Clint teased, before hugging her tight. “I’ll be one too, no way will HYDRA let one of SHIELDs best mercenaries live.”

 

Together the slunk out into the sunlight, to case the building that both had considered home. It didn’t take long for them to see that they couldn’t case SHIELD the way they wanted to. The building had upped security to the point that Nat might have slept soundly behind its walls.

 

“Home?” Clint suggested after three hours of glaring at the new security teams.

 

“Home.” She nodded, and drug them toward the house she was enjoying as her own. 

 

The call the precious night had left her worried and distraught, thus their casing the joint all day. If SHIELD/HYDRA was behind whatever fuck up happened with the Lemurian Star then they needed to know more about the who and why.

 

-/-

 

When he made it back home Sam was almost startled by how domestic she looked, standing in his shirt, and a pair of his borrowed boxers. Her hair pulled up in a messy bun, glasses on her face. She still wasn’t moving fast, her moves sluggish, but she at least looked better. “Clint and I made breakfast.”  She offered, “And I got a weird call from Steve.”

 

“What about?” Sam hummed, as he kissed her cheek, unsure in the daylight. 

 

Before she could answer, there was a knock on his door. He watched as she instantly went for the gun she’d had strapped on her hip the night before, she crouched down behind the island and waved him on. He caught the slight movement of Clint dropping to a similar position before Sam opened the door just enough to see Steve and another angry redhead. “Hey, man.”

 

“I’m sorry about this. We need a place to lay low.” Captain America looked tired and overwhelmed.

 

“Everyone we know is trying to kill us.” The woman, Natasha Romanoff, now that Sam could focus on her.

 

Sam peaked over his shoulder to see Will nod, already she had settled the gun back down on the counter. “Not everyone.” Sam moved away from the door, and motioned them in. “I think I have something of yours anyway.” He motioned towards Will, who Clint was now standing beside her. 

 

“Thank God you are ok.” Steve bustled past him and hugged her to his chest, “I didn’t know what to expect, when I tried your number, after Fury you disappeared.”

 

“I needed a place to laylow.” She offered, “Plus Sam here didn’t mind me crashing, or Clint. And it opened up a place for you guys. Let me get you some food together.” She made their plates, as Sam dug out more clothes for them. 

 

While they cleaned up, Sam moved the clothes to the dryer, and Will kept surveillance up. Steve made his way past Sam, bumping shoulders, as he made his way to Nat. “You okay?” Clint had hugged Nat, and then joined Will.

 

She was sitting on Sam’s bed, with her hair up in a towel and a pensive look on her face. “Yeah.”

 

“What’s going on?” Steve settled on, dropping onto the bed next to her.

 

“When I first joined SHIELD, I thought I was going straight. But I guess I just traded in the KGB for HYDRA. I thought I knew whose lies I was telling, but...I guess I can't tell the difference anymore.” Natasha sighed.

 

Steve gave her a thoughtful look, “There’s a chance you might be in the wrong business.”

 

She smiled faintly at him. “I owe you.”

 

“Its okay.” He promised.

 

“If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, and you be honest with me, would you trust me to do it?” She asked, curious, and worried. 

 

Steve didn’t hesitate, “I would now. And I’m always honest.”

 

Natasha gave him a sidelong look. “Well, you seem pretty chipper for someone who just found out they died for nothing. Will gonna be ok?.”

 

“Will cna take care of herself.” Steve huffed, “And I guess I just like knowing who I’m fighting. Is Clint going to be ok”

 

“This isn’t the first family he lost.’ Nat stated clearly unaffected by the easiness in how she said it. 

 

They regrouped in Sam’s small kitchen. All four comfortable around the kitchen table, Will had rounded up some twizzlers from somewhere and was devouring them. “So, the question is : who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?”

 

Steve didn’t hesitate, “Pierce.”

 

“Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world.” Will interjected, giving them both a sharp look. 

 

“But he’s not working alone, Zola’s algorithm was on the Lemurian Star.” Steve hummed.

 

“You know who else was on the Lemurian Star?” Will demanded, her eyes widening, “Jasper Sitwell.”

 

Clint exhaled, and looked around the room. “So, the real question is : how do the four most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?”

 

Sam dropped a file on the table, “The answer is : You don’t.”

 

“What is this?” Steve asked as he looked up at Sam.

 

“Call it a resume.” Will smiled, “Sam is brilliant.” 

 

Natasha pulled a picture out of Sam with his pararescue team, “Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission?” Her eyes widened with respect, “That was you.” She narrowed her eyes at Steve, “You didn’t say he was pararescue.” She looked at Sam standing side-by-side with another pararescue. Clint looked over the files, over her shoulder, occasionally signing something to Will or Nat.

 

“Is this Riley?” Steve asked, cautiously. 

 

Sam didn’t meet his eyes, instead he focused on the hand around his wrist, Will. “Yeah.”

 

“I heard they couldn’t bring in the choppers because of the RPGS. What did you use, a stealth chute?”

 

Will looked at Natasha as she fangirled, any level of absolute badassery made the assassin cheer. “No. These.” He dropped a second file on the table. Steve opened it and began to read it.

 

“I thought you were a pilot?” Steve raised an eyebrow.

 

“Never said pilot.” Sam pointed out.

 

Steve sighed, “I can’t ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason.

 

“Dude.” Sam started, “Captain America needs my help. There’s no better reason to get back in.”

 

Will smiled up at him, “Where can we get our hands on one of these things?” She asked him.

 

“The last on is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall.” Sam explained. Natasha and Will shared a look.

 

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Will flexed her fingers. Steve dropped the FALCON file on the table. 

 

“While the girls handle that, let me and Clint get you caught up.” Steve smiled at Sam. Clint shrugged.

 

-/-

 

**ATTACK ON SITWELL**

 

As Agent Sitwell walked out of the building with Senator Stem beside him, he received a call from Pierce. “I need a minute, bring the car around.” He turned to look at his men, who dispersed. “Yes, sir?”

 

“Agent Sitwell, how was lunch? I hear the crab cakes here are delicious.” Sam smiled into the phone.

 

“Who is this?” Sitwell demanded. 

 

“The good looking guy in the glasses, you're ten o’clock.” Sitwell looked around but didn’t see him. “You're other ten o’clock.” Sam teased, Sitwell turned to see Sam sitting a few feet away from him. “There ya go.”

 

“What do you want?” Sitwell demanded.

 

“You’re gonna go around the corner, to you're right. There’s a grey car two spaces down. You and I are going to take a ride.” 

 

Sitwell paled, “And why would I do that?”

 

“Because that tie looks really expensive, and I’d hate to mess it up.” Sitwell looked down to his tie and saw a red light from a gun being pointed at it, he followed his gaze, and his eyes widened as the man he recognized as Hawkeye was smiling at him.

 

“You're dead.” He hissed.

 

-/-

 

Steve threw Sitwell down hard on the rooftop, Natasha behind him. As both Sam and Will touched down, Clint between them, looking slightly less irritated than the last time someone bodily lifted him from the ground. “Tell me about Zola’s algorithm.”

 

“Never heard of it.” Sitwell declared.

 

“What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?” Steve femanded.

 

“I was throwing up. I get seasick.” Sitwell declared. Steve forced Sitwell to the edge of the rooftop, both Sam and Will had dropped back off the roof. Sitwell smiled at him. “Is this little display meant to insinuate that you’re gonna throw me off the roof, because it’s really not your style, Rogers.”

 

“You're right, but it is hers.” He stepped aside, Natasha kicked Sitwell off the roof.

 

“Oh, wait. What about the girl from accounting, Laura…?” Nat asked, folding her arms.

 

“Lilliam.” Steve nodded, “Lip piercing, right?”

 

“Yeah, she’s cute.”

 

“You know I’m sort of with Will right. I’m not ready to branch out.” Steve frowned, as Sam and Will dropped Sitwell back on the roof, they touched back down next to Clint, who offered them a smile. 

 

“Zola’s algorithm is a program… for choosing insight’s targets!” Sitwell was on his hands and knees, panting, he looked at Steve, then Clint, who landed a kick to his mouth.

 

“Why’d you do that, he’s talking?” Sam muttered.

 

“Not talking enough.” Will huffed. 

 

“What targets?” Steve chose to ignore them. 

 

“You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA! Now, or in the future.” Sitwell offered.

 

“The Future? How could it know?” Will demanded, arms across her chest.

 

“How could it now? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it.” He looked around them, all looked at him with confusion, “Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future.”

 

“And what then?” Clint demanded.

 

“Oh. my God. Pierce is gonna kill me.” Sitwell painted.

 

“What then!?!” Will stepped forward, holding tight to his suit front as she bodily lifted him from the ground.

 

Sam looked at her with complete adoration, her sheer strength was unmatched.

 

“Then the insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time.” Sitwell explained. By the time they were in the SUV, Will and Clint were in the very back, Natasha next to Sitwell, while Sam drove, and Steve sat in the passenger seat. “HYDRA doesn’t like leaks.” Sitwell shivered, as they continued on their path to the Triskelion. 

 

Sam shrugged, “So why don’t you try sticking a cork in it?”

 

“Insight’s launching in sixteen hours, we;re cutting it a little bit close here.” Nat frowned.

 

“I know, we’ll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly.” Steve nodded.

 

“What, are you crazy!” Sitwell cried out.

 

“That is a terrible, terrible idea.” Will huffed. A noise on the roof of the car made Will cringe, “Our ghost has arrived.” She hissed as a metal hand punched through the window, and pulled Sitwell out. He tossed him into oncoming traffic, his neck cracked. Will moved quickly, shoving her nails through the ceiling, and pushing the top end off the SUV, “Hold on Clint.” 

 

Clint wrapped around her waist, as her wings unfurled behind them. Pulling them both out. It worked like a parachute, ejecting them. She settled Clint down safely, “GO!” He shouted at her, as she took off after the SUV. The metal armed man - Bucky was shooting into the SUV. Suddenly he dropped onto the street, as another car crashed into the side of the SUV Sam had been driving. Bucky took off running after them, jumping up and onto the car, smashing through it, to pull the steering wheel out. Behind him Will was catching up. 

 

“SHIT!” Sam screamed.

 

Nat started shooting but Bucky jumped onto the vehicle behind them, hitting Will square in the face with his metal elbow, she felt her nose crack as she fell backwards, she could see Clint, he’d managed to commandeer an SUV. Ahead of them, the SUV was pushed off the road, Steve broke the window, with both Natasha and Sam clinging to him, they slid on the car door. 

 

Will wiped her face as she tackled Bucky from behind. “ Prekrati eto Baki!” As she slammed her fist against his shoulder, “Dammit STOP!” She ordered, as he rounded on her again, shooting her in the hip, the bullet bounced off, striking his metal arm, before hitting the front wheel of the SUV Clint had, sending him canteering him toward the median.  Bucky punched her square in the jaw, then turned to walk away, as she met the pavement. Clint was next to her in a blink, helping her up. 

 

Several HYDRA agents appeared, and flanked Bucky as Steve, Nat and Sam scattered - running off in different directions. Bucky was shooting specifically at Nat, she turned on her side and shot his goggles, forcing them off his face. “Ona moya. YA pozabochus' o ney. Nayti yego.”

 

“What did he say!” Clint shouted as the pair dropped over the edge of the bridge. 

 

“Nat is his.” She huffed. Steve and Sam had HYDRA agents after them, while Bucky was hot on Nat’s tail. “Clint, back up Sam.” She ordered him. “I got this.” She flicked her wings out, and sped towards the back of Bucky, crashing into him, as he turned, and shot her in the shoulder, the bullet went straight through, as she smashed her face into his nose. 

 

“GO! I GOT THIS!” Sam shouted to Steve whose eyes were on Nat and Will, who were both focused on bringing the metal armed man down. Clint skid into Sam’s side, and winked. “WE GOT THIS!” 

 

“Run!” Will ordered, Nat, who compiled, as she and Bucky traded punches. 

 

He threw her off him, and into a SUV, she crashed through the door, hitting her head hard. Bucky turned from her, and followed the sound of Nat’s voice, “I make an LZ, twenty-three hundred block of Virginia Avenue. Rendezvous two minutes. Taking fire above and below expressway. Civilians threatened. Repeat, civilians threatened.” He neared the car he thought she was standing behind. He rolled a bomb toward her, as the bomb rolled behind the car, nothing happened, instead she said, “I make an LZ, twenty-three hundred block at Virginia Avenue. Rendezvous two minutes.” The bomb exploded as Nat jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his neck, he tossed her off, quickly. She took off in a sprint, shouting “GET OUT OF THE WAY! STAY OUT OF THE WAY!” At the civilians around them. 

 

Nat took a bullet to the shoulder, she fell, sure the soldier was right behind her, but was met with the sight of Will’s wings. She punched him hard in the face, he spun, Steve was there, he launched himself at Bucky, the pair colliding violently. Bucky got the shield and lobbed it at Steve, hard. Will kicked it with her metal leg, sending it up into the air, Steve caught it, and threw it back, as Will crashed into the side of Bucky. The black mask flew from his face, and everything stopped.

 

“Bucky?” Steve’s voice was broken.

 

“Who the hell is Bucky?” He demanded, raising his gun, Will and Sam both stood between them, Bucky shot Will square in the chest, sending her flying backwards. Before Bucky could do more damage, Clint, supporting Nat, fired the grenade launcher that Bucky had dropped early, at him. In the smoke he vanished.

 

Sirens sounded around them, as Will peeled the shredded shirt off, then the kevlar vest. Sam helping her, she still had a black tank top on, blood from her face and shoulder dropped forward, her head swimming. Sam could read the hunger on her eyes, but there was something dark lurking beneath her flesh, something he didn't know if he could place it. Then it connected, that… that silver armed monster was the ghost who used to love her. Sam kneeled, and brushed hair from her face. “Will.”

 

“Drop the shield, Cap!” Rumlow voice bounded around them. “Pack you're wings up, Private.” She complied, shaking as she did so, Steve let the shield fall from his grasp. “Get on your knees!” Sam wanted to tell him he and Will were already there. Clint dropped down, then Steve did. Nat faltered last. “Don’t move.” Rumlow ordered, one of the men - Rollins, was holding a gun still at Steve, “Put the gun down. Not here. Not here!” Rumlow voice sounded panicked as he pushed it down. HYDRA agents descended on them, pulling them up. 

 

In the van, Will took a steadying breath, and locked on to a familiar scent,  _ Hill. _

 

“It was him. He looked at me like he didn’t even know me.” Steve whispered, then looked at her, “You smelled him?” Will didn’t meet his gaze. “Will! Who were you protecting me or Bucky back there!” He growled, she looked at the floor, unmoving.

 

Sam wondered if this was something that happened often. “How’s that even possible. I get Will, she was with you - frozen perfectly, but Bucky died what seventy years ago?”

 

“When you were captured.” Steve snarled, “Zola changed you both. Whatever he did to Buck, it helped him survive the fall. You guessed it back in Bec’s apartment, how long, Will! Did you know when we climbed on the plane!” Steve was spiraling. “We have to find him.”

 

“None of that was you're fault, or Wills.” Nat tried. “Will probably guessed he survived. She’s had Stark looking for him, right?” Steve nodded. “As far as who she was protecting back there, it was pretty obvious she got between him and  _ Sam. _ ” Nat grumbled. 

 

“Even before I had you, when I had nothing.” Steve looked into the red eyes of Will, “I had Bucky.” 

 

Sam looked between Will’s bleeding collarbone, and the graze to Nat’s arms. “We need to get a doctor here. We don’t put pressure on that wound Nat’s gonna bleed out here in the truck. Or worse, Will’s gonna succumb to her hunger.” Suddenly one of the guards pulled out an electric rod and stabbed the other guard with it. 

 

The guard forced the helmet off her head. “Ah. That thing was squeezing my brain. Hey guys, whose this one?” She looked at Sam.

 

-/-

 

**ABANDONED SHIELD BASE**

**UNKNOWN LOCATION**

 

Hill got them out, and drove the five of them to a hidden facility. “GSW. She’s lost at least a pint.” A man was running towards them. Hill motioned first to Nat. “And this one could use several pintes for food.” She pointed towards Wll. 

 

The doctor nodded, “Let me take them.” The doctor supported Nat as Will swayed.

 

“They’ll want to see him first.” Hill offered, as she led them to a hospital like room. Inside, Fury was sitting on the bed, looking a little worse for the wear.  “Treat them in here.” Hill whispered to the doctor. 

 

“About damn time.” Nick huffed. 

 

Another doctor arrived, handing several coolers of blood to Sam and Clint. “ This is for that.” The second doctor grumbled. “Let’s get you sorted.”

 

“Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache.” Nick explained his injuries.

 

The doctor currently stitching Nat up added, “Don’t forget you're collapsed lung.”

 

Nick shot him a look, “Oh, let’s not forget that. Otherwise I’m good.” He looked at Will who was biting into blood bag number three with a vengeance.

 

Nat whined, low. “They cut you open, your heart stopped.”

 

“Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it.” Fury explained, “It all would have been for nothing if Will would have told the truth, but Hill and her sorted it out, before she let it slip.” 

 

“Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?” Steve demanded.

 

“Any attempt on the director’s life had to look successful.” Maria explained.

 

Nick gave them a pretty smile, “Can’t kill you if you're already dad. Besides, I wasn’t sure who to trust.”

 

“Pierce was a mistake.” Will hissed, blood ran down her front.

 

Nick hummed, as he looked at a picture of Pierce. “This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize, he said ‘Peace wasn’t and achinevemnt, it was a responsibility.’ See, it’s stuff like this that give me trust issues.”

 

Clint sighed, “We have to stop the launch.” 

 

“I don’t think the Council’s accepting my calls anymore.” He waved his arm, which made Hill hand him a suitcase. He opened the case to reveal three chips. 

 

“What’s that?” Sam asked, as Will leaned against him, stated for the moment. 

 

Nick looked at Will, more than Sam. “Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized.” He looked then to Steve. “We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own.”

 

“One or two won’t cut it.” Maria explained, “We need to link all three carriers for this wto work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die.”

 

They grew silent. “We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what’s lief…”

 

“We are not salvaging anything.” Will snarled.

 

Steve nodded beside her. “We’re not just taking down the carriers, Nick, were taking down SHIELD.”

 

Nick snarled, “Shield had nothing to do with it.”

 

‘You gave us this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD’s been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed.” 

 

Nick gave them both a glare, “Why do you think we’re meeting in the cave? I noticed.”

 

“And how many paid the price before you did?” Will growled, eyes glowing red.

 

“Look, I didn’t know about Barnes.” Nick tried.

 

“Even if you had, would you have told me?” Steve snapped. “Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes.” Steve crossed his arms.

 

“He’s right.” Maria looked at Nat and Clint, the pair nodded back at her.

 

“Don’t look at me.” Sam huffed when Nick turned to him. “I do what he does, just slower.” He pointed at Steve, as Will rumbled something soft like a kitten.

 

“Well…” Fury inhaled sharp, “Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain.” 

 

Steve removed himself from the chamber, and headed for the bridge above the compound. He thought about Bucky - how no matter what Buck had always been there to catch him.  _ We can put the couch cushions on the floor like when we were kids. It’ll be fun. All you gotta do is shine my shoes, maybe take out the trash.  _ Bucky laughing.  _ I’m with you till the end of the line, pal. _

 

Steve felt Will as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face into his spine, breathing. 

 

Sam joined both Will and Steve on the bridge a few minutes later, he looked at the pair, now tangled into each other, as if a lifetime of memories wasn’t enough to keep them together, “He's gonna be there, you know?” 

 

“I know.” Steve hummed.

 

Will took Sam’s hand, “It’ll be ok.” It was a whisper.

 

Sam shook his head, and frowned. “Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop.”

 

Will bit back something akin to a pained wimer. Steve frowned, fighting back tears, “I don’t know if I can do that.” He responded honestly, as Will folded around him, her arms around his middle. 

 

“Well, he might not give you a choice. He doesn’t know you.” Sam offered them both.

 

“He will.” Steve declared, “Gear up, it’s time.” Steve pushed her off and headed toward the main chamber.

 

Sam looked down at Will, who had wound herself around him tight. “See why you couldn’t tell him.”

 

-/-

 

Steve suited up in something he hadn’t worn since 1945, next to him Will was wearing a similar suit. Both left them vulnerable to attack. “You're gonna wear that?” Sam looked between them, like they were both crazy. “Where did you even get them?”

 

“We borrowed them, they are temporarily on lend from the Smithsonian.” Will explained. 

 

-/-

 

Getting into SHIELD was easier than they thought it should have been. They made it to a command room, one that Will knew about from her many days of sneaking around, while Steve was learning with Nick or Nat. “Ok, you hoodlum.” She grabbed Steve by his suit front. “You’ve got one shot at this.”

 

Steve nodded, then sat down at the desk. He clicked it on, and started, “Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me, and about Will Monroe, over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt us down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not.” As he pulled back he looked at Will who winked at him. 

 

Sam clapped him on the shoulder, and laced his fingers through Will’s, “Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?” 

 

“Go, I can watch the monitors, get Pierce.” She ordered. She watched as they all slipped out the door. It didn’t take long for her fears to start. “They’re initiating launch.” She called out over the coms.

 

“Hey, Cap, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?” Sam asked, over his own com.

 

“If they are shooting at you, they are bad.” Steve sounded back.

 

Will rolled her eyes. “You ready, Hawk.”

 

“Take me to the Skies, Liberty.” He saluted her as she kicked off the parking garage.

 

It didn’t take long for Sam to sound off again, “Hey, Cap I found those bad guys you were talking about.”

 

“Are you ok?” Will hissed.

 

“I’m not dead yet.” Sam confirmed.

 

She dropped Clint near the first Helicarrier, and headed for the second. A few tense moments passed without anyone talking. “Falcon, status?” Hill asked over the coms. Clint was a distraction, when he was out of arrows his job was to get to Hill.

 

“Engaging.” He responded. “Alright, Cap.” He sounded, “I’m in.” He made a startled noise, then “Shit!”

 

“Eight minutes, Cap.” Hill called out.

 

“I’m in position.” Will called out, just as she slammed another Hydra agent down, his blood splattering across her suit front, as she moved to the mainframe.

 

“Working on it.” Steve sounded. She could hear the muffled sounds of fighting for a few moments, then “Alpha locked.” 

 

“Will, where are you?” Hill called out. 

 

“Charlie locked.” She responded. 

 

“Falcon, where are you now?”

 

“I had to take a detour!” The sound of an explosion behind him, “I need a little help.” He cried out.

 

Will appeared out of nowhere, catching him as he was starting to fall. “No go on Bravo.” Will cried out over the coms. “We have too many guards, and Sam’s out of guns.” 

 

“Two down, one to go.” Hill huffed.

 

“ALL SHIELD PILOTS SCRAMBLE, WERE THE ONLY AIR SUPPORT CAPTAIN ROGERS HAS GOT.” Sounded over the PA - Hill and Will both looked up, not that it mattered, Bucky chose that moment to show up. He used a rocket launcher, blowing up several of the jets.

 

“Fuck.” Will hissed, she let go of Sam. “Get the tech to Steve.” She pulled her wings back and went into a freefall.

 

“Bravo Carrier’s forty five degrees off the port bow.” Gunshot sounded across the coms. “Six minutes, Cap.”

 

“Hey, Sam I’m gonna need a ride.” Steve called out over the ear piece.

 

“Roger! Let me know when you're ready.”

 

“I just did.”

 

Will pulled the earpiece from her ear, and slammed into the back of Buck, again. Hitting him square in the back of the head with a punch. Bucky turned on her, metal arm grabbing her bodily by the throat, he tossed her back into the helicarrier. She watched his form stalk off, before she put her earpiece back in and sounded off, “Bucky is in play. Repeat, Bucky is in play.”

 

No sooner than she said it, she hear Sam scream for Steve.

 

Will pushed off the ground and took off in a run, she caught Steve, but couldn’t catch Sam too. She made sure Steve was back on Bravo Carrier, just as Sam sounded again, “I’m grounded. The suits down, sorry Cap.”

 

“Don’t worry.” Steve huffed. “I got it.” Steve promised, as Will swept in behind him.

 

In the monitor room, Hill must have noticed something, “Will if you can get to Falcon, Rumlow is headed for the council.” A beat later Clint pushed thorugh the door, and looked very seriously at Hill. “Clint’s out.” She called, and nodded to him, as he put his bow into his quiver, and drew his pistols.

 

“I got it.” Steve pulled Will to him then shoved her out of the helicarrier. 

 

She twisted midair and grabbed Sam who was still fighting to get the wings to comply, he dropped them to the ground when she drug him up,  a yelp falling from his lips. “We are on Rumlow.” Sam groaned.

 

-/-

 

Steve moved fast, until he met up with Bucky. Who was standing between him and the motherboard. “People are gonna die, Buck. I can’t let that happen.” Steve felt ice flood into his veins as Buck looked at him with zero recognition. “Please don't make me do this.” He begged. Bucky didn’t move. Steve threw his shield, then rushed him. In the ensuing fist fight, Steve managed to drop the chip. Bucky got the upper hand, stabbing Steve in the shoulder with his knife, and sliding down the side of the catwalk to grab the chip. Steve pulled the knife free, and grabbed Bucky as he slid by. “Drop it!” Steve ordered as he pinned Bucky’s arm. “Drop it!” It was his very human arm.

 

Steve hated the sound of the bone cracking as he broke Bucky’s arm, he had to hold him until he passed out, then steve grabbed the chip and ran. 

 

Hill’s voice broke through the radio - “One minute.” She looked between the monitors to see Rumlow making his way toward Will and Sam’s location. 

 

Will grabbed Sam’s mouth and pulled him down, as Rumlow moved closer. “I’m on 41, headed towards the south-west stairwell.” He told someone, Sam broke free from her and barreled into Sam, Rumlow flipped him onto his back and snarled down at him. “This is gonna hurt. There are no prisoners with HYDRA, just order. And order only comes through pain. You ready for yours?”

 

“Man, shut the hell up!” Sam snarled as Will slammed into the side of Rumlow. She hadn’t shifted, yet. 

 

Bucky woke forcefully, and shot Steve in the let thigh, not waiting he shot again, hitting him in eh right shoulder. Hill watched on with a frown on her face, “Thirty seconds Cap!” She warned. 

 

“Stand by.” Steve muscled the rest of the way up, and slammed the clip in. “Bravo…” He yelped out in pain when another bullit clipped his side.

 

“Ok, Cap, get out of there.” Hill ordered, as she struck her fingers against the keypad, signalling for the Helicarriers to fire at each other.

 

Steve let out a shaky exhale. “Fire now.”

 

“But, Steve…” 

 

Whatever Maria had started to say fell flat. “Do it! Do it now!” He looked down at Bucky, and felt his heart exploding with the first of the bombs and shots that rang out. 

 

“Maria, do you have eyes on us?” Sam demanded.

 

Hill turned to face the other monitors, to see Rumlow chasing after Sam, who had an injured Will over his shoulder. “You're out of your depth, kid.” One of the Helicarriers crashed into him.

 

Sam over the coms shouted, “PLEASE TELL ME YOU GOT THAT CHOPPER IN THE AIR!”

 

Nat responded, “Where are you, Sam?”

 

Sam adjusted his hold, Maria watched as she covered her mouth in complete fear. “41st floor, north-west corner!” Sam was dodging the world as it was falling, Will an unmoving form over his shoulders.

 

“We’re on it, stay where you are.”

 

“Not an option!” Sam shouted, as the building caved in on him he jumped out the window, in the free fall he lost Will, her form pumpliting toward the water. Nat pulled him into the helicopter as he glowered, “41st floor! 41st!”

 

“It’s not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building!” Nick cried out, as he watched Will’s body hit the water. “She can survive that right?”

 

Nat gave him a hopeful look, “Hill, where’s Steve? You got a location on Rogers?”

 

-/-

 

Clint caught Hill’s arm and led them through the countless injured or killed HYDRA Agents. “No confirmation on Steve.” Hill said, then jerked the ear piece out, as she drew her own pistol and shot just to the right of Clint, dropping another HYDRA operative. “You got a plan Clint?”

 

“Yeah, it’s call run like hell, Agent.” Clint called over his shoulder, as he slammed into a doorway, catching the top of the doorframe and kicking to agents backwards as he swung his legs forward. Hill darted around him and dropped another two. The pair made it the outside world in time to see two of the Helicarriers crash into each other.

 

“That’s Charlie and Bravo. I hope Steve got out.” Maria looked around them. “There goes our ride.” She pointed at a chopper being piloted by Fury and Nat.

 

“Let’s get to that extraction point.” Clint declared, tucking himself low to the ground, and waving for her to follow him, they wove around debris as it was still falling from the heavens, and into an SUV, as Hill hotwired it, Clint kept dibs on where he knew for sure Nat was. 

 

-/-

 

Some debris had fallen on Bucky, Steve although shot and injured, had climbed down to help him. “You know me.” Steve tried, he didn’t like how his voice caught. Bucky snarled, and threw his arm out, hand clawing upward. 

 

“No, I don’t!” Bucky snarled.

 

Steve shook his head, finally able to free him. Bucky moved away for a moment. “Bucky you’ve known me you're whole life.” Bucky swung, hitting Steve hard. “Your name is James Buchanan Barnes.” Steve continued as Bucky struck him again, the force knocking Steve backwards.

 

“Shut up!” Bucky snarled. Steve stepped back, dropping his shield and letting his mask tumble off his face. He watched them fall into the water, a splash not far from them looked a lot like Will. 

 

“I’m not gonna fight you.” Steve declared. “You're my friend.” Bucky roughly shoved him to the ground.

 

“You're my mission!” Bucky snapped, punching Steve repetitive across his face. “You're my mission!”

 

“Then finish it.” Steve muttered as Bucky drew back for another punch, Bucky paused, confused. “Cause I’m with you to the end of the line.” Something like clarity flashed across Bucky’s face, then the bottom of the Helicarrier fell, sending Steve down. 

 

-/-

 

Will woke up when her body hit the water, it punched a scream from her lungs, then the shield pierced the water next to her. She grabbed it and kicked toward the surface. Breaking the water she watched as Steve fell, then Bucky seemed to hesitate before diving in after him. She made it to shore, once she was sure Bucky was saving Steve and not drowning him. She dropped the shield on the muddy bank as Bucky drug Steve’s water soaked body up the bank. He turned to walk away. “I am not letting you walk away!” Will screamed, and slammed into the back of Bucky - the Winter Soldier. “BUCK!”

 

“I don’t know you.” He snapped.

 

“You don’t remember me.” Her heart dropped. “Ok, I can… I can work with that.” She muttered, “You saved Steve, he was you're mission, right, soldier?” Buck paused and nodded, “Let’s… I go with you ok? You need someone watching your six, and I am good at that. My names Will.”

 

“Will.” He repeated then took off walking, bristly.

 

“Right, what should I call you?” She darted closer, coming to rest a full stride behind him.

 

“Asset.” He responded, and her heart shattered, eyes welled up with tears, as her fist clenched at her sides, she nodded her head, and trailed after him. “We need out.”

 

“Out.” She agreed. “Let’s get a car.” She muttered, “We can hotwire one.”

 

He cast her a sharp look, then grunted, before breaking off into a run, Will cast one last look over her shoulder, frowned then sprinted to keep up, this at least felt familiar. “Are you still on a mission?”

 

“Mission terminated.” He whispered, as they neared a parking lot. “Need to go.”

 

“Stay here, Asset.” She shoved at his chest, and raised her gun, looking around the edge of the parking lot, until her eyes landed on an older vehicle, “The blue truck.” He nodded, and in silence they hot wired it, she clambered into the passenger seat and tugged her shirt up to look at the cut that she had received in the recent fight.  “You get us out of here?” She questioned as she pulled her outer layer off, her fingers brushing against the cold metal of her hip, as she pressed her shirt, soaked with grime and blood to her cut.

 

The last thing she remembered before passing out, was his face, full of concern and confusion, looming over hers, “Will?”

 

-/-

 

**WASHINGTON DC**

**HOSPITAL**

 

Steve was rushed to the hospital, once Sam made it to him. His shield had been fished out of the murky water, and Will’s jacket had been discarded next to the shield. Sam was asleep in the chair next to his bed, and there were at least two armed guards outside his door. He woke up slow, and groggily. He took a couple soothing breaths, as he realigned his mind. He could hear Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man” playing and he couldn’t help but try a sorrowful smile. “On your left.” He choked out. He watched as Sam cracked open an eye and offered him a tentative smile. 

 

-/-

 

**CAPITOL HILL**

**WASHINGTON DC**

While Will was working on the Bucky issue, and Steve was healing under Sam’s watchful eyes, Natasha Romanoff was pulled into a committee hearing. “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” The court bailiff demanded.

 

“I do.” She promised, dressed smartly, her hair in a neat bun atop her head. 

 

The Committee’s General spoke first, they were seated in a crescent shape around her. “Why haven’t we heard from Captain Rogers?”

 

She blinked at him for a moment, then composed her answer, “I don't know what there is left left for him to say. I think the wreck in the middle of the Potomac made his point fairly eloquently.”

 

The general glowered at her, “Well, he could explain how this country's expected to maintain its national security now that he and you have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus.”

 

She snarled a bit then hissed out, “HYDRA was selling you lies, not intelligence.” 

 

He quirked an eyebrow at her, then said in a dismissive tone, “Many of which you seem to have had a personal hand in telling.”

 

Another member of the Committee, Agent Scudder looked at Natasha for a long moment before he spoke, “Agent, you should know that there are some on this committee who feel, given your service record, both for this country and against it, that you belong in a penitentiary, not mouthing off on Capitol Hill.”

 

She stood at her desk, “You're not gonna put me in prison. You're not gonna put any of us in a prison, you wanna know why?”

 

“By all means, please do enlighten us.” Scudder waited.

 

“Because you can’t find either Barnes, and if you tried it would end in death on your behalf not theirs, they are tried and true - they have never missed a mark between them until it came to Steve. The Avengers.” She smiled flirtatiously at them all, “Because you need us. Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we helped make it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it. So if you want to arrest me, arrest me. You'll know where to find me.” With that she turned and walked away.

 

-/-

 

**GRAVEYARD**

**JUST NORTH OF WASHINGTON DC**

 

Nick Fury met Sam and Steve in a cemetary where the pair were staring down at Nick’s grave maker, “So, you’ve experienced this sort of thing before?” He asked Steve, cautiously.

 

Steve shrugged, “You get used to it.”

 

“We’ve been data-mining HYDRA’s files. Looks like a lot of rats didn’t go down with the ship. I’m headed to Europe tonight, if you’d like to come with.”

 

Steve shook his head and looked out at the horizon, “There's something I gotta do first.”

 

“How about you Wilson?” Fury asked, obviously undeterred, “Could use a man with your abilities.”

 

“I’m more of a soldier than a spy.” Sam offered.

 

Nick looked between them, then down at his titanium bracelet. “Alright then.” He shook hands with both of them, “Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here.” He looked down at his headstone, then nodded towards Natasha as she showed herself from the shadows. He walked away.

 

She took her time getting to their side, “You should be honored, that’s about as close as he gets to saying thank you.” She came to rest between the pair of them. 

 

“Not going with him?” Steve asked softly.

 

“No.” She shook her head, as she took in the gravestone.

 

“Not staying here?” Steve questioned. 

 

She laughed a little, “I blew all my covers, I gotta go figure out a new one.”

 

“That might take a while.” Sam offered.

 

“I’m counting on it.” Nat sighed, “She wouldn’t have left you unless she thought she had to.” Her eyes never left the headstone, “I think she knew more than you gave her credit for, something changed in her after you two had your time with Peggy. Something flipped. I think Agent Carter knew who and where Barnes was.” She looked to her hands, “That thing you asked for, I called in a few favors from Kiev.” She handed him a file, “Will you do me a favor? Call that nurse.”

 

“She’s not a nurse.” Steve countered as he took it.

 

“And you're not a SHIELD agent.” She sassed right back.

 

Steve offered her a soft smile, “What was her name again?”

 

“Sharon. She’s nice.” Nat maintained, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss Steve on the cheek, then turned to walk away before throwing her head back to gaze at him, “Be careful, Steve. You might not want to pull on that thread.”

 

“You're going after him?” Sam looked down at the file which had a service picture of Bucky as well as one of the Winter Soldier in it. “After Will?”

 

“You don’t have to come with me.” Steve offered.

 

Sam absentmindedly touched his neck where she had bit him, “I know. When do we start?”

 

-/-

 

**WASHINGTON DC**

**SAM WILSON’S HOUSE**

 

Sam jolted awake with his phone vibrating loudly near his head. He groaned, before groggily unlocking the screen. Steve was staying with him, currently, while they went over what they knew about Bucky. He looked down at the phone and sighed, it took him a few moments for him to read the message and understand what he was looking at.

 

┃[Text from unknown number: Hey birdboy.

┃[Text from unknown number: Take care of Stevie until I get back ok?

┃[Text from unknown number: I love ya, and I know if he’s with you, the plan is to come for us

┃[Text from unknown number: I’m asking that you don’t.

 

He couldn’t help the hope that clawed up his throat.

 

┃[Text to unknown number: I love you too. I’ll look after him, Will. I’ll keep him slow.

┃[Text from unknown number: Good, cause you're with us now, till the end of the line.

  
  
****


	6. Chapter Four.Five - Captain America: The Winter Solider -or- Jekyll and Hyde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit from our favorite Asset. <3

**CHAPTER FOUR POINT FIVE**

**CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER**

**-OR-**

**JEKYLL AND HYDE**

 

_ Oh, yo, yo, there's a demon inside _

_ Oh, yo, yo, just like Jekyll and Hyde _

_ Oh, yo, yo, all this anger inside _

_ Oh, yo, yo, I feel like Jekyll and Hyde _

_ There's just so much goddamned weight on your shoulders _

_ That you can't just live your motherfucking life _

_ The story's getting old and my heart is getting colder _

_ I just wanna be Jekyll, but I'm always fighting Hyde _

_ You've got rocks in your head, I can hear them rolling 'round _

_ You can say that you're above it, but you're always falling down _

_ Is there a method to your madness, is it all about pride? _

_ Everyone I know, they've got a demon inside _

_ -Five Finger Death Punch “Jekyll and Hyde” _

  
  


He doesn't remember much about before. Scattered shards that flash through his minds eyes, in the abyss of darkness. He’d rather it be one or the other, not the sickening slideshow of blurred memories and whorls of emotions. When Pierce becomes his handler, they stop wiping him after every mission. He wonders, idoly if they read his file. If they understand the monster he is. He is not allowed many things. His memories are one of them.

 

…

 

When he’s gone a week without a wipe, the flashes become more persistent. He bangs his head against the metal of his cell, and whines low in his throat. No one notices.

 

…

 

By day fifteen there are two formed figures in his mind - one a oddly beautiful girl, young with strawberry blonde curls and a red dress that hug her frame - he can’t think of her name, but he  _ knows  _ her. The other, a strange mix of two figures - one a sickly boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, the other blue eyes on a man larger than life, with blonde hair, the asset  _ knows  _ him too. 

 

…

 

At the three week mark, twenty-one days out of cryo… the voices start. One he associates with the young girl - airy and breathless, constantly full of mirth. The other he associates with the ever changing flashes of the blue eyed man, deep and soothing, but full of conviction.

 

…

 

By day twenty-five the voices are demanding him.  _ Remember. _

 

Remember what?

 

The asset doesn’t have an answer for that.

 

Instead he taps his metal middle finger more insistently against the metal bars of his cell. It’s a rotating series of numbers. Three sets. He can’t focus on the voices, they  _ distract _ him from his mission. 

 

From Pierce.

 

From his home, HYDRA.

 

_ Remember. _ The little girl with wide eyes and hope demands.

 

_ Remember.  _ The sickly boy in clothes too big, with newspaper in his shoes demands.

 

_ Remember.  _ The broad boy with the same blue eyes as the sick boy demands.

 

The asset cries, silent tears, and shouts inside himself,  _ remember what? _

 

…

 

He meets  _ her _ on day thirty-four. In a dark alley, where she’d followed him. 

 

The first thing he picked up about  _ her _ was that  _ she  _ smelled of honey suckles in bloom and death, wrapped together so finely that it should have made his more sensitive nose hate it, instead it makes him think of one word he doesn’t really understand,  _ home _ . 

 

“Bucky.” She’d looked pale, like she’d saw a ghost, her eyes haunted, as he advanced on her. “Oh.”

 

He slammed into her, knocking her to the ground, his metal hand curled around her left wing, his grip tightening. She let out a startled scream, before shoving at him with her hands and knees. The Asset drug his favored knife from his belt, and embedded it in her ribs. He dropped her, and made a move to leave.

 

Then the girl had  _ laughed. _

 

Inside his head the three figures were screaming at him  _ WRONG WRONG WRONG _

 

But the Asset couldn’t stop, she’d saw him, and Pierce had been clear.

 

Take out Fury, no one left behind to tell the tale.

 

He kicked her in the face, her head jerked backward with teh force. She looked up at him, with trusting eyes. The Asset had never had anyone look at him like that before. He inhaled sharply, she smelled.... Like  _ home _ . Then she spoke. “Its ok, Bucky, I’m with you, till the end of the line, jerk.” 

 

His fist stopped inches from her face. “What?” He snarled at her.

 

“Remember me.” She begged, instead he turned and ran.

 

Inside he could feel the monsters of his memories grabbing at him, tugging, pulling him under. The girl in the alley, he  _ knew  _ her. She was the younger girl in his memories, the one in a red dress, with lips painted just as red, and an easy laugh anytime he was within her arms.  _ Will. _

 

He stopped short, the name rebounded inside his head. Her name was Will and he  _ knew  _ her.

 

…

 

They didn’t wipe him. 

 

He clawed at his metal arm until they put him on the table, strapped his arms down, and turned out the lights, with an order to sleep.

 

He tumbled into darkness.

 

For the first time he could recall he dreamed.

 

_ She  _ was there,  _ Will.  _ Holding his face in her hands, tears down her cheeks. They were standing at a platform, her lips in a pout, he kissed her, and pulled back, “I’ll pass it on to Steve.” She promised, she waved after him once he boarded the train, until he couldn’t see her anymore.

 

He woke up  _ cold. _

 

_ Steve. _

 

His mind locked onto the name, but he couldn’t place it.

 

…

 

On day thirty-seven he was sent after the redheaded Russian and Agent Sitwell. 

 

He’d met  _ him. _

 

_ He  _ smelled like sunshine, wildflowers, and gunmetal.  _ He  _ smelled like  _ home _ and  _ pride. _

 

“Bucky?” He had sounded so broken. 

 

The girl,  _ Will _ , beside him crying red tears and reaching toward the man.

 

“Who the hell is Bucky?” The asset demanded. 

 

When he’d been knocked out of the way by the flying thing, was it human? 

 

The asset wasn’t sure.

 

He’d seen his exit and took, plus Pierce’s other toy Rumlow was there.

 

Of course… that meant the asset had failed. 

 

He hadn’t killed his target.

 

Memories flood his mind, wrapping around him, of a man and a girl he loved equally. His  _ Stevie.  _ His  _ Willie. _

 

“But I  _ knew  _ him.” He tried with Pierce.

 

The last thought he had before the machine, as Pierce ordered his wipe, was charcoal covered fingers, tiny Steve Rogers sketching by the fading light of the sun sinking in Brooklyn, while Will Monroe sat on the floor at his feet, stitching up a faded and worn pair of pants, the pair, looking up at him with smiles, “Hiyah, Buck.” He kissed them both.

 

“But I knew  _ them.”  _ He tried again. 

 

He knew it was a mistake.

 

…

 

The asset woke from the wipe, ready to comply. 

  
  



	7. Chapter Five : Strike Force Delta - or - Emperor's New Clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the Avengers reel with the loss of Will, she's on her own with Bucky, and things are far from smooth. As wanted criminals, they need to make the right plays, every time. 
> 
> The also need a little help, and who better to be their guiding light than THE Spy.
> 
> Nick Fury - the real Avenger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of these characters belong to Marvel. I made Will, and of course the four young faces you meet in this installment. I didn't mean for the three rapid post, but they all have to be done before we start part II. Also, don't worry, minimal deaths to people we adore are coming in the future but the endgame is happily ever after. XOXO

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**STRIKE FORCE DELTA**

**-OR-**

**EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES**

 

_ Dynasty decapitated _

_ You just might see a ghost tonight _

_ And if you don't know now you know _

_ I'm taking back the crown _

_ I'm all dressed up and naked _

 

_ I see what's mine and take it  _

_ (Finders keepers, losers weepers) _

_ Oh yeah _

_ The crown _

_ So close I can taste it _

_ I see what's mine and take it  _

_ (Finders keepers, losers weepers) _

_ Oh yeah _

 

_ Sycophants on velvet sofas _

_ Lavish mansions, vintage wine _

_ I am so much more than royal _

_ Snatch your chain and mace your eyes _

_ If it feels good, tastes good _

_ It must be mine _

_ Heroes always get remembered _

_ But you know legends never die _

_ -PANIC! At The Disco - “Emperor's New Clothes” _

 

-/-

 

**CHERNOBYL**

**2014**

Will came to on a bed of sorts, it was more like a pallet of pillows. She could make out the pale form of Bucky’s back, most of his gear off his body, the stark expanse of pale scared skin before sharp metal at his shoulder. “How long?” She managed to whisper, moving around, attempting to untangle herself from the blankets over her body.

 

“Three days.” He turned then, his face cleaned off, bruises blooming where Steve had struck him. “Will Monroe Barnes.” He looked her over, “You don’t look like you made it to eighteen.”

 

“I didn’t.” She frowned. “Steve kind of crashed a Hydra plane into the ocean in 1945, I was on it. We thought you had died.” She sat upright, the blankets curling around her, “My clothes?” She whispered.

 

“You bled out.” He returned. “Had to get rid of them.”

 

“Right. Where are we?” She asked, instead of asking the million dollar question that she wanted to - what did he remember, and how did he know her well enough to know she liked to be bundled up like a burrito.

 

“Chernobyl.” He responded, the word resonated with her but she didn’t know why, she cocked her head to the side. “There was a Hydra base under the energy plant before it melted down in 1986.” He explained, looking her over, her face etched in panic. “It was abandoned, after. No one should be here.”

 

“We are in Ukraine?” She echoed, once her mind had dredged through all the things Tony had made her and Steve catch up on since waking up, centered her eyes on him. “Buck, Asset, whichever you want to be called - are we safe, here?”

 

“We are.” He hummed. “For now.”

 

“Meaning once they realize that there is activity here they will come for us?” She muttered. “I need clothes, and a gun, and we need to talk, about what you remember - I mean what you remember about everything.” She wrapped up in a sheet, quickly and stood. “Clothes first, who are you?”

 

“You called me Bucky. The man… Steve called me Buck.” He whispered.

 

“You're mother named you James Buchanan Barnes, Bucky was your nickname, Buck is another nickname.” She offered. “You were born in 1917, in Brooklyn. You're best friend was Steve Grant Rogers. He was always picking fights with bullies. You two idiots took me in when I was twelve, the year was 1938.” She shivered. “We made our own sort of family.”

 

“I remember… falling.” Bucky clutched his head in his hands.

 

“Have you slept?” Falling was not a good place to start.

 

“No.” He grumbled at her.

 

“Nap, I won’t touch anything, just going to look around for some clothes, my side should be healed by now. I got shot when you came after Natasha on the bridge, and cut when we powered down Hydra’s latest weapon.” She muttered. “Go on, Buck, rest.” She nudged him into bed. “I will watch over you.”

 

“I need to recalibrate your legs.” He mumbled even as she covered him up.

 

“Sleep, Buck.” She pressed a soft kiss to his temple, as the darkness overtook him.

 

The base, underground, reminded her of Red Skulls place, they Hydra symbol in red was painted on most doorways, and her Russian was admittedly rusty but she found a room that she figured was worth entering, the name plate said something about Gear and Weapons. Slinking in she found old school tactical gear, heavy leather, and red accents. It didn’t take her long to tug the sleek pants up her thighs, and tug a kevlar undershirt over her head before pulling a black long sleeve turtleneck on, she slid shoulder holsters on, and tugged her sweaty hair into a braid, letting it lay in a circle around the crown of her head. Combat boots on next, she grabbed Bucky some newer clothes and herself a jacket of sorts - red leather with black bands around the arms. Muttering to herself she grabbed a leather pack, and headed out.

 

Next she found food, well MRE’s she wasn’t picky, years in the Army had taught her not to blink at food choices. By the time she made it back to the small compartment she and Bucky were apparently calling theirs for the time being, he had twisted around in the blankets, and had his metal arm tucked under a pillow. She cleaned away most of the blood and dirty clothes, leaving the food and clean things behind, before trailing back toward the exit hatch she had noticed earlier. She deposited the dirty belongings and looked around the landscape which was startlingly bright and alarmingly apocalyptic. This place had once been the center of life for something, her eyes befell the charred remains even as her nose burned, she snorted, and dipped back inside.

 

While Bucky slept she dug through handwritten files on exactly what Chernobyl was. “So, this place.” She hummed to herself, “The reactor wasn’t what it seemed.” As she read more, she felt her heart beating louder, “They were trying to replicate the serum.” Bucky jolted in his sleep, once she was sure he was out she continued skimming along the documents aloud. “The reactor worked as a power source, the power source for the change. They made two soldiers here - a male and female.” She chewed her bottom lip. “Where are they now?” She wondered, lamely, flipping through. Finding the last page she bit her lip, “Both assets remain frozen in cryo under the reactor.” She looked over her shoulder at Bucky, and sighed, “You're awake?”

 

“There are more like me here?” His face was doing something soft but exhausted. “There are others, somewhere else… I can’t remember.” His fist knotted in his hair, even as she sunk down next to him.

 

“I have a new mission for you, Buck.” She whispered, and watched as horror filled his eyes. “We are going to take out all the HYDRA bases you remember, pull their old data, like this shit, and ship it to someone who can and will be able to decode most of it. Tony Stark.” She explained, “We are going to kill HYDRA operatives, their enhanced and the others like you, but under no circumstances do you get to die, do I make myself clear?”

 

He nodded, shakily, and dropped his head to her shoulder, “I remember something, a small couch in Brooklyn, with a radio blaring, and dancing… you dancing with someone…”

 

“Me dancing with Steve, before he was all serumed up.” She offered, letting her hands smooth his hair down. “We should move on, after we take out the enhanced.”

 

“I’m not like the others.” Bucky whispered, “I’m not as strong.”

 

“Eriksen said the serum brought out the qualities people already had inside them. You were never a murderer, Buck.” She hummed slightly, “Just like I was never meant to be a soldier, just a nurse and a friend, but here we are, side by side in Ukraine of all places.” She wrapped him up in a hug, and let him cry.

 

It was fairly easy, to fall back into old patterns, she hovered to Bucky’s left, ready to move, ready to follow his command, now that he was suited up they were ready to go. The tweed long sleeve shirt on his shoulders covered his arm, but he could still use it, just like the pants covered her legs, but she was still able to move flawlessly. With her gun up and ready, and him crouched slightly, they entered Reactor 4, and made their way down to the heart of it, until Bucky was standing at some sort of control panel. “How long after you start that program do we have before Hydra knows we are here?”

 

“Three minutes, maybe.” Bucky guessed. “Headshots, Will.”

 

“Right.” she nodded, easily, and waited. The first enhanced was female and no older than she had when she’d fallen under the ice with Steve. She raised her gun and fired a single shot, piercing the girls skull. The next on was an older man, with a scared face, and a neck tattoo that put her in mind of the military, she pulled the trigger without another thought, and nodded at Buck. “Let’s move, Serge.” She winked at him, before slipping around and heading back up the stairs as alarms started going off. “Tell me you didn’t do that?”

 

He stood stoic for a moment. “I didn’t.” He finally mustered, “Someone tapped the system, we have to go, grab that.” He shouted as she passed a red leather book with a star on it, she sprinted up and out, until the night sky wrapped around her, Bucky was out a beat later. “If you want me, you need to learn me.” He pointed at the book.

 

“I know you.” She huffed.

 

-/-

 

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK**

 

The fall of SHIELD left a lot of Agents with no mission, good ones and bad. Steve and Natasha both made their way to Tony Stark, with Sam Wilson following. Steve felt like he had a hole in his heart following the exit of Will and the disappearance of both her and Bucky. He couldn’t shake the vice grip that had settled around his heart, nor did he completely understand what was happening. How was Bucky still alive?

 

Tony didn’t have the answers, but he did have a package addressed to STARK JUNIOR. “I think that this is from Will.” Tony told him as he sat the package in front of him, Pepper not far behind them fixing breakfast with Sam’s help. Happy and Natasha were both working on the mornings crossword puzzle. Bruce was face down on the kitchen table groggy and not quite awake yet. “I know she left with Barnes. And we don’t exactly know why, but the only person in the world to ever call me Howie Jr is Will.”

 

Steve gave the package a rather ominous look. “Have you opened it?”

 

“No, there is a lot of things written on it, in HYDRA’s prefered languages - Russian and German. It appears that she remembered more about her life in captivity than she ever let on with you. Or Barnes’ reappearance jolted some memories. I have Jarvis figuring out the codex or algorithm for the language.” Tony explained.

 

“He won’t crack it unless he factors in Latin and Romanian. It’s a rotating key.” Steve offered up quickly. “I know because they taught me the basics.” He looked at the package, “This is Buck’s handwriting - it says something along the lines of : I Remember, Stevie, but not enough. This one here is Will, and if I remember right it says : open with the Avengers in the room.”

 

“So it's for all of us.” Bruce pulled a face as he looked up. “Learning the basic serum ideas came from HYDRA was pretty fucking horrible, but knowing that I used their research, and it turned me into the Hulk fucking sucks. If this is something to break HYDRA I’m all for it.” He smiled at Pepper as she settled a cup of coffee by him.

 

“So once Thor shows up, we what? Open it?” Steve asked. 

 

“Yeah, she would have marked it if it was time sensitive.” Tony declared. “And I have a feeling she was more worried about you needing a support system with her galavanting around the globe with an assassin.”

 

“The package came from Chernobyl.” Natasha whispered, now looking it over carefully. “There… they…” She chewed at her bottom lip. “Something is happening. They are up to something. I don’t think they picked each other over you, Steve.” She looked at the cardboard box, hard. “He trained us in the Red Room, taught us how to take hits, roll with punches.” Natasha rarely brought up her youth training with the KGB. “I was his favorite, I think.” A sad smile twisted on her face. “He was supposed to kill me once, but didn’t. I didn’t get it then, and I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out, but he said something then, when he let me run into the darkness.” She seemed to be steadying herself, “Vil'gel'mina, beri moyu miluyu lyubov'. Uvidimsya v kontse linii so Stivi.”

 

“What does that mean?” Steve almost demanded, he knew enough German to get around while he had been actively fighting the Nazi forces, but Russian was lost on him.

 

She blinked back a tear, “Wilhelmina, run my sweet love. I'll see you at the end of the line, with Stevie.”

 

Steve pushed away from the table hard. “He had moments of clarity as late as twenty years ago. How old were you when you were taken from the KGB?”

 

“Peggy got sixteen year old me out, nineteen years ago. They made a serum similar to what you were given, and both Bucky and Will were experimented on… they gave it to us.” She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap.

 

No one bothered to speak for a long moment, then Pepper hugged her. 

 

-/-

**Samobor, Croatia**

**2014**

“I have to stop sleeping.” She grumbled. “Everytime I fall asleep I wake up in a new country or time.” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and looked across the cab of the ‘borrowed’ truck to Bucky. His face was pinched, and he looked wired up for something.

 

“Why do I stop and look down alleys?” He demanded.

 

And that, ok, that broke her. The more Bucky’s memories came back the more questions he had about how even through his programming he would do little seemingly insignificant things. “When we lived in Brooklyn.” Her voice caught on the word, a choked noise escaping her lips, “Hell, probably even before I was around, Steve would get into fights, he was puny back then, remember.” She doubted that Bucky did, but he nodded along. “Steve would get into fights, and you’d check down every ally until you found him and beat the breaks off of who ever was kicking his ass that day.”

 

Buck nodded for a moment. “What about the fourth of July.”

 

She felt the tears then, “It’s Steve’s birthday.” She looked out the window. “Where are we?” The game always hurt her worse than it helped him, or at least that’s how she felt about it, but he seemed content after a handful of questions everyday.

 

“Almost to Germany - Samobor, Croatia.” He offered. “We have a date with a hydra base.”

 

She rolled her eyes in an almost fond manner, “Don’t be a jerk.”

 

“Brat.” He teased back, making both of them look shocked, he’d prefered to call her Will most of the time, or boss, but Brat - that was something both Steve and Buck had called her, back in those hazy memories. She gaped at him, looking more like a fish than anything. There was five Hydra bases between them and Chernobyl. She was learning the new him, blending it with the old him, and he was learning just as much, “I used to call you Brat.” He repeated, eyes wide and full of hope. “I used to call Steve Punk.”

 

“And we called you Jerk.” She hummed, then reached across the cab to lace her fingers into his metal ones.

 

Buck hummed back at her, “Sarah, she was…” He pulled at the thread in his mind, “Steve’s mother.”

 

She nodded, “What’s the mission, Buck.” She tried again, the past hurt her in ways that weren’t fair, missing Peggy was still there, like a pulsing nerve.

 

“We are going after a HYDRA ghost base, that was taken over by the KGB. I was there a couple times, but I don't know if it’s active or not.” He huffed.

 

“Noted, so we are going in hot in theory.” She frowned. “We need weapons?”

 

“I don't wanna kill anyone if we don’t have to.” He nodded.

 

“One of your books is there?” She asked, curious. They’d collected three which left four more.

 

“Yes.” His voice was hard. “Activate me.”

 

“Not unless I have to.” She growled back, “Buck, please don’t make me do this.”

 

“We do it every time.” He challenged, “And when I come out, I remember more.”

 

“This isn’t helping you, it’s… I don’t know, fracturing your mind more.” She growled. Then she focused, really on the request, “I think I have an idea.” She winked at him. “Let’s not shelve this conversation completely, how about we take out the base as planned, then after, we test a theory out. What if I put you under, and order you to remember.”

 

Bucky frowned, his brows knitted together, “While in there you might want to order me to only respond to you.”

 

And that fractured her heart, not his.

 

-/-

 

The base was located under a small concrete aqueduct that ran through the town. Once inside, they found only spiderwebs. “The only tech I see here, or files, all date up to 1963.” She hummed. Leafing through them and wondering if maybe she was missing something. “Speaking of, Buck?” She turned to find him gone. “Seriously.” She snapped, before settling the files into the dust once more and darting back into the hallway, lights flickering on as she walked.

 

“Will.” Bucky caught her arm, and drug her into a room, with a metal chair in it, she recognized the equipment, “I’ve been here before.” He dropped a series of folders  onto the bed.

 

“What is this?” She whined.

 

“Read.” He ordered, she sighed, and dropped down into the desk and started looking over the files.

 

“It explains how they… how they wiped you?” She looked up with wide tear rimmed eyes, “They couldn’t get the memories out, per say, but they could… hide them?” Her Russian was improving everyday, but Hydra had a code language all its own and while Bucky spoke it fluently she didn’t.

 

“I think we can undo it.” Bucky hummed, “But not here.”

 

“In Siberia.” She ran her fingers down the page, looking over the information. “Yeah, ok. Let’s… let’s take what we can and blow this place up.” She sighed, “I’ll call in a bomb threat, set the timers for thirty minutes.”

 

“Will.” Bucky caught her arm, “Why do I look at you like a child?”

 

“I was a child, I was barely twelve when you and Steve took me in. You…” She paused, “You were like my big brother, him too. When the letter came announcing you were going to basic training, you and I made a deal, with Steve, we got married.” She motioned between them, “So if you didn’t come home alive, it wouldn’t matter because we would be taken care of.” She looked at her knees. “Bucky, I was like you're and Steve’s teenage kid, you two, god you were in love.”

 

His eyes widened. “We need to set the bombs.” He growled.

 

“Yes we do.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze, but they worked together easily.

 

-/-

 

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK**

 

“Got another package, sir.” Happy deposited the much larger box than the first one on his desk. 

 

Tony looked at it, and sighed, he pressed the PA button and said, “Attention all Avengers to my location, please. My office?” He sounded tired, even to himself. Pepper had been weird lately and since the most recent suit up and save the world bullshit he’d bought a ring, but hadn’t found the appropriate time to ask her to marry him. 

 

Steve bounded in first, almost dragging Natasha. Bruce was next. Clint was last, “Thor isn’t here, can we open these without him, otherwise they are likely to pile up.” Steve regarded the box wearily.

 

The last one when they opened it hadn’t made sense, the logoritum was still decoding all the information. Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “No waiting.” He agreed, before he stood and drew a letter opener from his desk, quickly cutting through the tape that held the top on.

 

First he pulled out a letter : 

 

“Junior, I hope that you are reading this with the other Avengers. Bucky is doing ok, don’t worry Steve, we are figuring things out. I’m sorry I left like I did. I was selfish, and now I know coming home won’t be easy. Maybe it never was. We’ve… were on a mission, and I don’t know where it ends, Stevie. But this information, the files I’m sending - Tony, they are the old stuff before they started backing everything up. There are recordings from the 40s in here.”

 

Steve took a sharp breath, and drew Tony’s attention.

 

“Things that I’d rather no one see, but I know - I know it has to be done. There are other things, too. We haven’t found all of Buck’s complete file, but there are fragments here. I must tell you now, I have the book that you will see the handlers holding. There are several more out there for us to destroy. I love you Stevie, til the end of the line.”

 

Tony folded the paper up and handed it off to Steve. “Shall we?” He asked as he pulled the first reel of footage out. “JARVIS do we have something that will play these?”

 

“You're father had a projector for these reels.” Jarvis responded, “You will find it in the basement, if you send Happy he will be faster.” Jarvis toned.

 

Happy nodded and took his leave. He returned a few minutes later, with ancient equipment under his arm. “I can handle it from here.” Steve managed, setting up the old spools, and cranks. He took the reel that was marked one, and placed it on the spool, carefully finding the start of the film strip and feeding it through the lense. “Turn off the lights, Jarvis, please?” 

 

The room went dark, as Steve flicked the projector to life. It was grainy, the first few seconds, then the sound started, “Wie sehr liebst du dein Land?” A HYDRA soldier from the 1940’s asked a much younger looking Will, who was bound and chained to the floor.

 

_ “Private Will Barnes, Service number 234…” She trailed off as the man slapped her rough across her face. “I love my Captain, not my country.” She hissed, as she spat blood in his face.  _

 

The reel went black for a moment, then when it started up again, Steve paled. 

 

_ Will was bent face down over a table, he could hear Bucky screaming obscenities and fighting against whoever was holding him, as a german soldier pinned Will down, one hand firm against her neck, her arms cuffed, and her legs were kicked apart. “Zeit, eine Lektion zu lernen.” The soldier snarled. _

 

_ “There's nothing this is going to teach me, you vile fuck!” Will screamed as the sound of a belt buckle hit the floor. Bucky could be heard off screen shouting “GET OFFA MY WIFE!”  _

 

Steve felt sick. 

 

Tony watched as the other Avengers turned away from the film.

 

He never stopped watching, at the end it took close to 39 men, if he’d counted right, to make her scream out, to make her cry, to make both her and Bucky comply. Their voices raw from screaming and shouting, as they locked eyes, or he assumed the did off camera, she blinked three times, then they spoke,  _ “Wir geben auf. Wir werden machen was du willst.” _

 

_ Dr. Zola entered the frame then, “I vould not ‘ave to do such drastic things to vou, if vou vould of surrendered to start with.” The man helped Will stand, and started to wipe the blood from ehr face, where she’d bitten through her lips, as he helped her amble towards Bucky, suddenly Barnes was on screen, his face black and blue, looking skinny and frail, the two collided, and coiled together sobbing and holding one another, as Zola continued whispering to them, stroking both their heads. “Now my children, ve vill begin!” _

 

The reel blacked out, mercifully, and seemed to end.

 

“I need time before… before we watch any more.” Clint stood abruptly and darted out, Natasha behind him. 

 

Banner took careful steps towards Steve, “Steve, you couldn’t have known.”

 

“They never told me what all he did to them, just that he tortured them and experimented on them.” Then Steve broke, his shoulders folded in and sobs fell from his lips. “I don’t wanna watch any more.” He looked at Tony, “Unless you think it will help me get them both back.” Then he let Bruce lead him from Tony’s office.

 

Tony waited until he was alone to curl in on himself and cry for his father's friends, for three of the most genuine people his father had ever met, he could remember his father talking about the vivaciousness of Will before Philips sent her to her proverbial death in the alps. He could remember his father talking about true love, and wishing someone looked at him the way Peggy, Bucky, Steve, and Will looked at each other.

 

Pepper found him hours later, curled on his side, and sobbing. 

 

-/-

 

**WAREHOUSE - HYDRA**

**SOMEWHERE IN LITHUANIA**

 

Bucky's nightmares where getting better, to a degree. However Will waking up to his metal hand clamped down on her throat, hard enough she could feel her windpipe cracking, his eyes glazed over, her only response was to punch him over and over again until his hold loosened enough for her to wheeze a broken, “Soldat, Sputnik.” Was enough to remind her that he wasn’t fixed. Not really. 

 

He dropped heavy against her, his metal elbow digging into her sternum. She panted as she frantically shoved him off of her, and crawled off the mattress on the floor, to lean against the fridge, willing her heart rate back to normal. She didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

 

In the early morning light, a necklace of bruises with fingerprint indentions wove around her neck. 

 

When the sun rose, he reached for her, finding only the sheets he shot up eyes alarmed. They shared a small look at each other, his eyes locked into the fingerprints and palm print on her neck. “I’m sorry Will.” He whispered as he tentatively crawled to her.

 

“Make it up to me by dancing with me, like before.” She begged. 

 

He cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know how to dance.”

 

“The Soldat doesn’t know how to, but Buck does.” She assured him. “Let me… let me show you.” She pulled her phone from the duffle and pulled up Youtube, turned on a playlist from the 1940s. As the music started she stood, and took his metal arm, wrapped it around her waist, as she laid her hand on his shoulder, his normal hand tangled in her other, and she sighed. “Close your eyes, trust me.” 

 

Bucky inhaled, and kept his eyes closed. He listened to the music, and pulled her closer. Then he stepped, leading her around the room in a sweeping promenade, before the pair were tangled in one another dancing like they had the night after they got married. He dipped her, eyes still closed - allowed her to keep them from bumping into anything hectic, but he kept the steps going fast paced.

 

“You're doing the Lindy Hop, Buck!” She whisper shouted, as he spun them again, and lifted her off the ground, toes pointed, as he pulled her to one hip, than slung her to the other, before he spun her under one arm, and kissed her hard on the mouth as he drew her close again, the kiss was searing, and almost painful.

 

Bucky pulled back alarmed, but she chased his lip, pulling him down back into the kiss, letting them fall hard against the mattresses on the floor. “Will.” He moaned her name as she kissed his face and moved down his neck. “Will.” He breathed it out. She was tugging his clothes off before he caught up.

 

They crashed with violence and force, letting the animals inside them control them. Long scratches down her back, and over his chest, bites along his collarbone...

 

-/-

 

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK**

 

The next four packages Tony opened on his own, and let Jarvis view the reels before he did. Tony couldn’t risk breaking Steve even more than he already was. Sam Wilson had started to spend more time at the tower, there were pieces of the story missing that Tony couldn’t see, but Steve seemed to take comfort in Sam, so Tony let it go.

 

The fifth package was just a file, HOWARD STARK written above the top of it. As he pulled it open, he called for Steve. “HYDRA had my father killed.” He spread the papers across his desk.

 

“Was it Bucky?” Steve sounded so small, so fragile that Tony couldn’t help but stand and hold him.

 

“It was.” Tony managed, after a moment, “The thing is, my dad took samples of you're blood right? Ten samples? He was transporting five of those the night he died. Who was he taking them to?” He grumbled.

 

Steve looked even more concerned, “Who had the other five?”

 

Tony’s face paled. “If there are more super humans out there…”

 

“I wonder how many more?” Steve couldn't help what he said next, “I’m sorry, and I know Bucky will be too when he remembers, when he really remembers.” Steve looked down at his feet. “Howard and I were friends, but he was closer to Will and Buck. He and Bucky could rib at each other for hours, and he always had time to dance around the lab with Will, but it was something else. I meant freedom, for America, I guess, but they… they were just normal people, or so he thought, and they were holding their own out there on the battlefields with me.”

 

“He talked about you all a lot, so did Aunt Peggy and Uncle Dum Dum.” Tony felt the tears as they started to fall. “He met my mom, actually, when they did this big memorial service. You had crashed into her accidently when chasing a HYDRA operative the day you became super. She was about to marry someone else, when you knocked her over, and she realized there were better men out there.” He laughed, wet against Steve.

 

“So you're not mad?” Steve asked, sounding hopeful.

 

“Oh, I’m mad as hell, but not at a Prisoner of War who was tortured to the point he can’t remember who he is. We need to find them before the US Government does. I’m working on a program that might help with his programming, from what little I know about it from Pierces files.” He wiped his eyes. “But right now I want to curl up in bed with Pepper, you should call Sam?”

 

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I think I just might.”

 

-/-

 

**ROMANIA**

**ONE YEAR AFTER THE FALL OF SHIELD/HYDRA**

 

“Hey.” She snapped her fingers in Bucky’s face. “I ain’t getting any younger here.”

 

“Or older.” He shot back, at times her fresh face still gave him pause, he’d always kept up his act, as a playboy, up until the day in the small Catholic Church, where  he’d married her. His memories were fractured, but she still looked like the snot nosed brat in Brooklyn who’d shove her cold hands under his shirt just to make him jump. She shrugged.

 

He returned his attention to the task at hand, which was buying plumbs. She watched as he conversed with the shopkeeper, her eyes scanned the area around them, keeping a careful look over their shoulders. She supposed that was what anyone on the run from the United States government would do - but she had to protect Bucky, at all cost.

 

“Fuck.” She hissed as she saw his image flash across the front of a closed circuit television in the booth behind the shop keeper, she tugged at his sleeve, drawing his attention to the image. 

“Fuck.” He agreed as he saw the image - his image plastered across the front, Stark and the US Government were offering a pretty large reward for him. “We need to move, Monroe.” She nodded, falling in beside him stride for stride. Almost a year on the run, with nine destroyed HYDRA bases behind them, she had learned to take his commands, they’d learned other things along the way, they’d managed to track down all of his code books but one, and destroyed all but one of the six they had, mostly for her benefit. He grabbed her wrist, hard, with his metal hand.

 

With quick steps, and coordinated effort, they found themselves standing in their apartment, Steve in his suit by their little fridge. “Steve!” A wide smile cracked on Will’s face, “Nice to see you, Punk.” She tried for easy, but she was worried, Bucky’s grip on her tightened, making her bones crack in protest. “It’s ok, Buck.” She promised, leaned forward, and patted his chest.

 

“What happened to your hair?” Steve muttered as he hugged her tight.. He looked at her now dark brown hair, clearly dyed at home. She looked exhausted, in a way Steve hadn’t seen her since the trenches, since late nights scrubbing blood off the Commandos, cooking covertly, keeping them going. The same weary tired that she had when she’d been sewing for days and her fingers were bleeding - when he was sick and medicine cost too much money.

 

The crackle in his ear made him pause, “Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the South.” Sam was hovering just out of range, looking out for Steve.

 

Steve frowned, “Understood.” He looked past Will, to Bucky, “Do you know me?”

 

Will tensed in his arms, as she looked over her shoulder to look at Bucky, as well. “You're Steve. I read about you in a museum.”

 

There was an uptick in Sam’s voice over the ear piece as he shouted, “They’ve set the perimeter.”

 

Steve locked eyes with Bucky. “I know you're nervous.” He pushed gently at Will to get her to step back, they formed a triangle more out of muscle memory than intent. “And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying.” Steve asserted.

“They’re entering the building.” Sam called out.

 

Steve chanced a look between them. “Well, the UN are coming here now. And they are not planning on taking either of you alive.” Will’s face paled, as she reached under the table and drew out two pistols. Steve might have said something about the level of paranoid she was, but they were running out of time.

 

Bucky looked at her, then Steve. “That’s smart. Good strategy.” Will made a startled noise, they both knew taking the Winter Soldier alive would be idiotic.

 

“They are on the roof. I’m compromised.” Sam shouted out, the sound of him moving loud in Steve’s ear.

 

Below they could hear the sounds of boots trampling upstairs.

 

“This doesn’t have to end in a fight, Buck.” Steve started, aware that although armed, Will hadn’t raised either of her weapons.

 

Outside shouting sounded, and metal clinked. “It always ends in a fight.” Bucky muttered, he nodded sharp at Will, who whirled around to face the door, arms up and ready.

 

“Five seconds.” Sam muttered, Steve ignored it.

 

“You pulled me from the river. Why?” Steve demanded.

 

“I don’t know.” Bucky lied, it made Will’s shoulders tense.

 

“Three seconds!” Sam shouted.

 

Steve ignored it again, “Yes, you do!”

 

“BREACH! BREACH! BREACH!” Sam screamed, just as a grenade crashed through the window, Bucky kicked it at Steve who smothered it with his shield. If the situation wasn’t so high key the three might have marveled at how easily they fell back into their old routines, the ones they would have employed in 1945.

 

A soldier started shouting, “Schieß die Tür auf!” The door shook as a battering ram slammed into it, Bucky grabbed her around the waist and hauled her to his side as he kicked the mattress up to shield the onslaught of bullets as they rained into the apartment. Will whirled, dipping under his arms, to flip the table on its side, and kick it hard into the front door. Glass shattering brought the arrival of cops, as they dropped in from the ceiling and windows. Steve ducked down, grabbing the end of the only rug in the room, and pulled, knocking a policeman off balance, as Will kicked a cop out the window, her metal legs humming to life, as Bucky slammed another cop into the countertop.

 

“Hey! Cool it! Buck, stop! You're gonna kill someone!” Steve called. Bucky caught him by the front and slammed him down, just as another rain of bullets washed over them, he punched through the floor next to Steve’s head, and grabbed a backpack, justs as Will picked up another cop, and slammed him backwards out the door.

 

“She already threw one out the window!” Bucky shot back, “I’m not going to kill anyone!” Bucky had the most innocent look on his face that Steve had seen since 1943, and it broke something inside of him. Bucky tossed the backpack onto the roof down from them, then shoved Steve into a cop. He pulled his hand up in front of his face, bullets bounced off, as he used his free hand to punch another cop into the shelves. Will had her metal foot down on one cops’ neck and was throwing punches with another, his gun on the floor barrel bent. She tossed a cement block towards Bucky, as the cop she’d been punching dropped, and dove at the next one, a bullet richoteing off her thigh. Bucky caught the cement block and introduced it to another cop’s face. “Where are all these guys coming from?”

 

“Dunno!” Will called over her shoulder. Steve was engaged in hand to hand combat with a cop on the balcony, as another cop shot around the outside door. Bucky punched next to the door frame, and grabbed the cop (who was still shooting the door)’s collar and jerked him into the door frame repetitively. Another cop descended through the skylight, Will kicked off the kitchen counters and flew into him, tangling her legs around his neck, and clenching. Bucky kicked the door open, and scooped up the battering ram, slamming into as many cops as he could, behind him he heard the sicking sound of a neck snapping, as Will dropped from the ziplight man and throat punched a cop as more trooped up the stairs. Looking at the dangling body, Bucky jumped, and held on to the dead body on the repel line, he sung down a level, just as Will knocked another two cops over the rail.

 

Steve, behind them, glared at the wake of bodies. They had morals, once. He could remember them. “Der Verdächtige ist ausgebrochen. Er ist am östlichen Treppenschacht.” A cop screamed into his radio. Steve jerked the radio from his hand and crushed it. Ahead of him, Steve could see Will with her legs tight around one guys neck and shoulder, punching another guy - she reminded him of Natasha sometimes, her lip was bleeding and somewhere she had been shot in the shoulder. Bucky was slowly punching his way through cops, he tossed one of them over the railing, Steve caught him, and drug him back over, throwing him into another cop. Giving Bucky a weary look he called, “Come on, man!” Then he looked at Will who was using her momentum to propel the man who she’d had her legs around over the railing, “Will! REALLY!”

 

Bucky gave him a smirk, and Will tried to give him a smile, just as Bucky broke a bannister and swung down it, Will just jumped, Steve hurled a cop over his shoulder, into two others. Bucky crashed into another group of cops, as Will used a trio of police to softened her landing, punching one for good measures. Near Steve another cop raised his gun, pointed at Bucky, who was slightly distracted, Steve knocked the gun from the cops hands by tossing his shield, the weapon sticking into the wall. Bucky leapt over the railing, just as Will yanked Steve’s shield out and hurled it up at him, she dropped down another level, and burst through a window, Bucky climbed up the side of the railing, then took off running along a corridor, he leapt off the balcony just as Will landed on the roof next to their old building, her body rolling with the landing. Bucky grabbed his backpack and ran after her, as she waved him on.

 

By the time Steve and Sam made it past the cops and to the rooftop both were gone. “Fuck.” Sam hissed, as he looked down to see the blood trail had ended abruptly. “They are gone.”

 

“You know, Avengers beating up cops doesn’t look good.” Tony sounded from behind them, Rhodey beside him in their matching suits. “Let’s get you two out of here before anyone makes you. I know those two mean something to both of you ok, but this - this shit has to stop.” Tony grabbed Steve’s middle and lifted them up. “This has to stop, if you get caught trying to take them, or save them, it’s going to blow up in all our faces.” 

 

“He’s right.” Sam sounded defeated as he soared to the same height as Rhodey and Tony. “We can’t keep checking out every single lead on them. We’ve only caught two actual sightings of them in the last twelve months, they were fucking playing with those cops back there, Steve. You were too.” There was something detached in that way Sam said it. “I get you're need to find them, but remember when people shoot at you they end up shooting at me.”

 

“Sam’s on to something there.” Rhodey hummed. “Sam tends to do what you do, only slower - we got footage from the base they took out two nights ago, I believe that apartment was HQ for them while they were working in Romania.” 

 

Steve hung his head and cried.

 

-/-

 

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK**

 

“Did they send a package?” Steve asked, trying for nonchalant and failing.

 

“Uhm, no.” Tony looked at the thing in his hand, and sighed, “At least not one of their normal ones.” He held the computer disc up for Steve to see. “I think this probably came from the base we found in the sewers under that little town they were crashing in.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Some sort of data bank.” Tony muttered. “Jarvis is analyzing this as well as the USB that accompanied it.”

 

“Let’s plug it in.” Steve had a seriousness in his voice that made Tony sigh.

 

Tony pulled a second chair behind his computer and loaded the disc. To his utter horror, the first couple of seconds looked like a completely normal base, with functioning soldiers. Then the screaming started. Tony yelped in surprise and fear when a large white wolf slammed through the door into the room that the camera had been recording, between its teeth what looked like a human head.

 

“Bucky.” Steve whispered, letting his fingers run over the image on screen. “He’s small, you should have seen his size back in the war.” It almost made Tony laugh at how much of a grumpy old man that statement made Steve sound, then a loud howl bounded through the speakers. “Will.”

 

She looked less human than Tony could remember, blood down her front, and on her arms. Now that he was looking, blood coated most of the wolves front legs, chest, and muzzle. They made quick work of the men in the room, literally ripping them apart, limb from limb, before they stopped in the middle of the room, a low snarl on Bucky’s raised lips. 

 

He tilted his large white head upward and looked directly at the camera, before howling. Will followed his movements. She cocked her head to the side, and smiled, teeth sharp and gleaming. It was like a ripple passed over them both, where the beast had stood now humans, mostly naked stood. Bucky saluted the camera, Will copied suit, then she picked up a pistol and shot the frame. 

 

“Those were you're best friends.” Tony whispered.

 

Steve sighed, “Will was always a bit more… feral than Bucky. I knew when I got them back from Zola that something was wrong. But, it didn’t matter not really. Not back then, the name of the game was killing Nazi’s and they could take out a whole platoon in minutes. The Commandos and I mostly distracted while they worked.”

 

“Why the howling?” Tony asked, he loaded the USB.

 

Steve chuckled. “They started and we mocked. It was a way to let the two creatures know where their pack members were.” Steve sighed, “It was Will’s idea, she also made sure to mark them with her scent and Bucky’s before we marched into uncharted territory.” 

 

The USB drive had footage that picked up where the disc had been disconnected. They had found a shower apparently and were both sleeping in a makeshift room with two mattresses they had pulled off the beds. It looked like a normal night, until Bucky started to twitch in his sleep, something Tony wouldn't have noticed if Steve hadn’t sat up straighter to look. It happened fast, one moment Bucky was asleep, the next he was shoving his knee in her back, and gripping her arms, in such a painful manner that Tony felt for her. 

 

_ “SOLDAT!” She barked out, and he recoiled long enough for her to get away from him. “Bucky?” She tried, but his eyes were stilted, he lunged forward with his metal arm, and grabbed her by the throat, as he stood he raised her with him. He was holding tight enough she looked ready to pass out, when she shifted, in his grasp. _

 

_ She hit him hard with a wing, which loosened his hold on her neck, then tangled herself around his legs, until he tumbled, falling hard to his back, it knocked the breath from him. She used her knee to pin down his metal arm, and then used her other knee to pin his throat. “YA tvoy provodnik, soldat, ty mne ne prichinil mne vreda. Teper' ya sobirayus' vas podbrosit', i my popytayemsya snova vspomnit' samikh sebya.” _

 

Tony paused it and looked at Steve. “Jarvis translate.”

 

“I am your handler, soldier you do not hurt me. I am going to let you up, now, and we are going to try again to remember ourselves.” Jarvis toned, “I believe, sir, that his night terrors awaken the Winter Soldier.”

 

Steve hit play. 

 

_ She stood and took two steps away from him, allowing him to stand as well. “Gotov k vypolneniyu.” _

 

_ “Ready to comply.” Jarvis supplied without prompting. _

 

_ “Ok, Soldat.” She let her fingers run over her throat, her voice sounded raw and gutted. “Sputnik.” He dropped like a sack of potatoes, hard against the concret. She looked up at the camera and sighed. “I’m workin on it, ok? This wasn’t a bad one, first night terror in almost a month.” She let her fingers itch at the nail indents on her neck. “The worst, Stevie, was when he remembered he could become a wolf, he shifted and almost ate me.” She let out a humorless laugh.  _

 

Then the screen went black.

 

“That’s PTSD.” Sam startled them both. “Barnes has PTSD, they both probably do. Actually I am pretty sure you both do as well.” He folded his arms over his chest, “Pepper let me in.” He explained. “I only caught the tell end of that, but is there any way to track their movements?”

 

“All the packages have coordinates on them.” Steve suggested.

 

Tony nodded, “The coordinates link up to bases either owned by SHIELD or HYDRA, it doesn’t look like they are differentiating.”

 

“At this point all SHIELD agents either work for you, or were recruited by special ops. It seems fair to reason anyone still operating one of the ghost bases would be HYDRA.” Steve looked at Sam, “What is PTSD?”

 

Sam sighed, “PTSD is post-traumatic stress disorder. The dictionary definition is this : a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world.” He sighed again, “The fact that I have that memorized should bother me, but the thing is none of you have dulled responses. I mean, I don’t see it, and I’m trained to.”

 

“You have it too.” Tony countered.

 

“I watched my best friend fall to his death, from over a mile up. There was nothing I could do. He wasn’t the first death I saw, but it was the worst because  _ I knew him. _ ” Sam explained. “She’s doing it right, though. Working with his psychological break, and coaxing him out of it. He was brainwashed, so there is a high possibility there are two different people in there, one is you're Bucky, and one is the Winter Soldier. I don’t know if they can coexist.”

 

“Will is more feral with him.” Tony whispered to Steve.

 

“She’s following his lead, she always has.” Steve tried. “He can pull her down into the darkness, or she can drag him out of it.”

 

“Or they can drown together.” Sam muttered. “Either Way, we need to be able to track them.” 

 

-/-

 

**SIBERIA**

**2014**

 

“Are we killing them?” Bucky asked looking at the other Winter Soldiers.

 

“Yeah, go ahead, I need to wire all the power to the chair.” He nodded, and opened his pack to start shooting them one by one in the head, as she went to work, a leather bound book against her knees, as she struggled to understand the schematic.

 

They’d taken out five other leather books, bound in red. All burned, it left the one she insisted they keep incase they ever ran into anyone who was programmed, and the one they had yet to track down. The flashlight in her mouth, bit between her teeth, as she worked made him smile, a soft crooked one. “We don’t age.”

 

“Seems like we don’t.”  She agreed, around the flashlight. “Any incoming?” Bucky was monitoring the security cameras that were still running.

 

“Not that I can tell.” Bucky hummed, “SHIELD and HYDRA had all their dirty laundry aired, though.” He was more talkative now, that he was less a soldier and more a confused man. “Why do I know gaelic? It's a dead language.”

 

“You learned it from Steve’s mother.” She muttered. “Why do you know 30 other languages?”

 

“KBG thought it was pertinent.” He muttered, “How is it going?”

 

“Well, it ain’t the lindy hop, but this should do it.” She flipped a switch and the machine roared to life. “Are you sure about this?” She shivered as she wrapped more tightly into her hoody, zipping it up as a burst of cold air danced in from the outside world. “So in theory, you want me to shock you again, but this time what?”

 

“I want you to help me.” Bucky huffed. “I need you to say the words, and then pull them to a memory, a good memory, so it makes the other shit fade.”

 

She cast him a dubious look. “This isn’t… I don’t know…” She looked at her hands.

 

“You can do it, Will, you're the best damn doctor the one-o-seven ever had.” He quirked a smile at her, and she bit her bottom lip. “Come on, you're my best dame, and this could get me my doll back.”

 

“Or make you worse, so much worse.” She sighed, watched him tuck himself into the machine, he looked terrified, his whole body quaking. There was no way in hell he was ok with her doing this, but he wanted to be. He was making the choice, and she wasn’t going to take that from him. 

 

She hit the second switch and the machine itself lit up, she felt her body start to seize up with fear. “So I have to activate you, but do it different - like tell you the first trigger than a memory you wrote down.” She looked between the books. “Buck…”

 

“Will, do it.” He grumbled at her, eyes tight, knuckles gripping the arms of the chair so hard the metal hand looked like it was going to break the metal casing, his other hand was knuckled white, and his breathing was coming out in paniced little spurts.

 

She inhaled sharply. “Zhelaniye.” He pitched forward, “Walking with Steve to catch the Dodger’s game through DUMBO, when you two saw men kissing in public for the first time.” She flipped to the next page.

 

“Rzhavyy.” She said, loud and clear. “The first time, after Sarah, that Steve climbed into bed with you, how he used to press his cold feet against your leg, holding him through the night anytime he was sick.” Bucky trashed.

 

“Semnadtsat’.” She inhaled sharp, as his body stilled, “The year you told Stevie you loved him, he had just turned seventeen, he punched you in the arm and called you a Jerk for making him wait, since he’d known since he was ten.” She felt the tears on her face, as she flipped to the next page in Bucky’s book.

 

“Rassvet.” Her voice held conviction now, as she spoke, softness gone from it, the familiar pull of how much she hated the words, the knowledge that the words had been a countermeasure in the 1960s when he had begun to string his memories together more coherently, years of torture and fear, of promises to hurt people he didn’t even know. “Teaching Steve to dance in the kitchen of that little flat we all shared.” Bucky let out a choked sob, tears on his face.

 

“Pech’.” She whispered, now standing close enough to touch him if she wanted to. “The night I fell into your arms, the night you two decided to adopt me the rain pouring in and me shivering, Stevie wrapped me up in his clothes, and you pulled me into bed with you both, and called us you're angry little blondes.”

 

“Devyat’.” She circled him, careful, his eyes were open and tracking her, he wasn't strapped down. “The number of enlistment forms Steve had completed by the time you were being shipped out. Also the number of art books you sent him from London, aiming to get his forgivenance.”

 

She flipped another page, and continued down the list of trigger words. “Dobroserdechnyy.” She hissed it out. “Playing cards with Dum Dum, behind the battle lines, on the day that I arrived to be you're field Medic. How happy to see me you were, but how upset you became when you realized that something was off with Steve. How you hugged me and cried out for him that night, how the Army knew we were married and didn’t care if either one of us died, how full of love that made you.”

 

Again she flipped the page, “Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu.” She paused, “Steve finding us at Zola’s, you seeing how healthy he looked after years of worrying about him dying, how we formed the Commandos after that, how nights on end the three of us curled together, no matter where, and snuggled, how I watched over you both, for your stolen moments…”

 

A single tear dropped from her eyes as Bucky let out a ragged breath, “Odin.” She managed, her whole body rigid for him, but he only cocked his head to the side. “Steve drawing you for the first time, the apartment filled up with sketches and dirty laundry, my sewing scattered all over the table.”

 

“Gruzovoy vagon.” She looked him over, “You're mother holding Steve to her side, that night Sarah died.”

 

Bucky’s head snapped up, “You changed the last one, it was supposed to be me recognizing Steve on the bridge, as Steve.” Then he realized what he said, eyes wide. “I’m not…” He gestured widely, “I’m going to stand up and we are going to try it again.”

 

-/-

 

**WASHINGTON DC**

 

“The Smithsonian.” She whispered, her hair dyed a dark black, and pulled into a messy bun atop her head, long sleeves, long pants, comfortable running shoes, and thick shades. Next to her Bucky had a pair of worn jeans on, a hoodie over his shoulders, with both his hands shoved in his pockets, and a hat on his head. Backpack on his shoulders. “We can get in tonight, after hours.” She suggested. “We’d only set off metal detectors, now.”

 

His memories were still chaotic and broken, fractured across his mind, but he wrote everything down, worked hard to keep everything ordered, sometimes he ripped pages out and rewrote them. They still didn’t know what would happen if by chance someone tried to do a full wipe on his brain now, his memories were almost in chronological order, scattered pieces - scraps of two men forged together. One a child of the 1940s in America, proud of his country, and cocky with his attitude, the other a calculating killer.

 

The more he wrote, and sometimes let her read, the more she realized he’d fought the KGB the best he could, following their orders in the most literal of senses. Only killing his targets, sparing anyone and everyone he could along the way. The Stark murder still made her largely uneasy, because Tony was more than smart enough to figure that out, but his directions had been clear cut that night, and left no room for anyone to make it out alive. On the bridge, back in New York, when she’d found him again - his orders had been for Natasha.

 

There were other things, being a softer Winter Soldier left him as the chosen one to train the next breed of assassins like Natasha Romanoff in the Red Room, a job that Bucky and the Winter Soldier had both enjoyed, he by that point had been so conditioned he saw himself as providing Mother Russia with much needed peacekeepers, he had favorites, they’d managed to figure out that Natasha was his favorite little red ballerina, because she reminded him so much of Will, of a missing little girl he couldn’t seem to shake. He was softer on her, and they wiped him for it, put his brain in a proverbial blender, and turned it on high.

 

“I remember you telling all of us in the Commandos you weren't a team player.” Bucky whispered, his arms around her waist, as they looked all the part a cute couple, cops passed them by.

 

“Peggy ordered me to be one.” She muttered, resting against his shoulder. The last base they had taken hadn’t been as empty as the ones they were used to. She’d taken two bullets to the chest, and him several to the legs, even with super healing days later they still stung like a bitch.

 

“I miss her too.” Bucky hummed.

 

They walked back to the condemned building they were hiding out in, with two stolen egg sandwiches in her backpack, and a soft smile on her face. He wasn’t Bucky Barnes from 1945, but he wasn’t the Winter Soldier anymore, either. He was some strange combination of the two. He kept the pamphlet with Steve’s face on it from the Smithsonian, tucked into a leatherbound journal on his back, she didn’t comment on it, but did steal the jacket off his body double mannequin, as well as the discontinued Stark Issued bow and arrow she had used in combat from her body double.

 

-/-

 

**SHIELD/HYDRA BASE**

**SOMEWHERE IN N. AMERICA**

**3AM**

 

“On your left.” Bucky whispered as the pair ducked into the abandoned building. They’d gotten better, lately about sneaking around. They were less likely to attract attention at three in the morning, anyways. As they wove through the compound, something akin to annoyance crept into Will’s body, a familiar scent tickled her nose, she stopped them.

 

“Nick Fury.” She said his name out loud, and with an edge of hatred, that made Bucky pause - she reserved that kind of fury for people like Johann Schmidt. “What a surprise? Finding a rat lurking in the ruins of his beloved temple.”

 

“This is my hideout, you invaded it, princess.” Bucky recognized the man the moment he stepped from the shadows, “Stand down Barnes, I know it wasn’t really you who tried to kill me - it was Pierce.” Will placed a hand against Bucky’s chest, he lowered his weapon begrudgingly. “Now, welcome to my home.”

 

“We take out bases, if you live here, then all the shit here is compromised.” Will folded her arms over her chest. “Agent Hill.” The woman moved from the shadows as well, Bucky snarled, he was worried, she minutely shook her head at him. “We came here because it was the next in line geographically, now that most of Europe is clear, it got a little hot over there. We can leave.”

 

“Actually I’ve been waiting for you.” Nick stepped closer. “The Avengers are working better than I ever hoped, but its my worry that someday, they will reach something they can’t conquer.” 

 

“You know something, Fury?” Bucky hissed, now directly behind Will, his eyes narrow, and his body wired tight. 

 

“Down, boy.” Fury hummed, “No, I just like to have a back up plan.”

 

“SHIELD is over, Nick, you have nothing.” Will hummed.

 

Maria Hill looked them over, “He has a dream, always has. He is the whole reason the Avengers Initiative is even operational. I know you don’t trust him, there are very few people he trust. He let you break in, he let you sack two rooms, I think it’s fair you hear him out.”

 

Bucky snarled low again. “She’s right, Buck.” Will turned in his arms, “If you need to shift and run a bit, go ahead, let me talk shop with the pirate and his hot Agent, ok?” It didn’t take long for Bucky to twist his shoulders and drop into the wolf form, his tactical gear lying in ruins on the floor. “You have ten minutes.”

 

“I had a second string plan, you know, in the military there is always a second team, a backup force. It was called STRIKE FORCE DELTA, it never got traction, and we never had a chance to enact it, I considered it a failsafe, something to be like a secondary team, on the roster but not always in play.” Fury explained.

 

“Who would even be on this team?” She asked, as she settled against the wall, her shoulder holding her up. 

 

“Obviously you and wolf-Barnes.” Fury nodded at the white wolf pacing them. “Maria Hill.” He motioned to her, “Pepper Potts, Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster, and Colonel Rhodes.” 

 

She raised an eyebrow. “So the only fighters are myself, Buck, and WarMachine?”

 

“Pepper has donned a suit before.” Nick offered. “Maria has several different fighting styles under her belt. As for Darcy and Jane… it might take some time.”

 

“How would you even get them onboard?” Will quirked.

 

“Let us worry about that.” Maria offered. “The main objective is getting you to lead them when the time comes.”

 

She burst with laughter, “Rhodey would never let me lead him.”

 

“I wouldn't say that.” A new voice caught her attention. “Tony’s my friend, but Cap isn’t my commander. I can’t follow his current agenda, which is finding you two, tell me again why I am not calling him right now?” He hissed at Fury. 

 

“Because you are here on my favor.” Maria snapped. “And on our wedding vows.”

 

Will raised an eyebrow at that. “Fine.” Rhodey grumbled. 

 

“Would you follow me to the gates of hell if it meant saving Tony and the other Avengers?” Will took a calculated step forward, eyes zeroing in on Rhodey’s. 

 

Rhodey sighed, “Way I see it, I’m the first Colonel in history to ever follow a Private.” He sighed, “You’ve got me on you're six, princess.” He said finally. “Maria?”

 

“She already had my vote, Rhodey.” Maria winked at him. “Now, Fury and I have something for you, Private.” She stepped forward and linked a bracelet over her wrist. “This is a special communication device that allows us to let you know about missions and when the Avengers need you.” 

 

“What's our first mission, Fury?” She looked at him, with skeptical hooded eyes.

 

“You're going to steal the suits.” Fury grinned. “The suits Tony manufactured. There are four ment for Pepper - a red suit, a violet suit, a blue suit, and a grey suit. You are also going to steal the suit Tony built for you, after the New York attack, the one he never gave you.” She sighed, and looked down at the ground, then back up. “After that, I don’t care.”

 

“Whose on this mission?” She asked, thoughtfully.

 

“Maria is going with you.” Rhodey looked resigned as he said it.

 

Bucky let out something akin to a bark, Will turned to look at him. Then he was in her face, his mouth around her throat, teeth against her skin. “Bucky has a point, he has PTSD, so do I. Sometimes we wake up fighting each other.”

 

“It won’t be a problem.” Maria hummed. “I won’t be sleeping close to either of you.”

 

“You will when we get to Russia, or you’ll freeze you're danty ass off.” Will scoffed. “So this is my team, and I call the shots?” She looked very seriously at Fury, he nodded. “I want Sam Wilson. And while I’m at it, let it be known, I’m not just taking the suits. You have one week from today to convince the other three players. I’ve got Sam. Have Pepper ask for a break from Tony, do the same with Jane and Thor. I need them with us, learning to fight.” Fury gave her an amused look. “This isn’t the first group I’ve led.” Bucky licked the side of her face, then stooped down enough for her to throw her leg over his shoulders, “Come on, Hill.” She reached down and helped the other woman up. “See you later, Rhodey.” 

 

As their forms retreated, Rhodes looked to Fury, “My wife just rode a wolf out of a secret cave owned by HYDRA, with a vampire in front of her.” 

 

Fury laughed, his head tossed back. “Rhodey, I need you to got a message to Coulson.”

 

“How, sir, he's dead?” Rhodey raised an eyebrow.

 

“Is he?” Fury chuckled.

 

-/-

 

“Do you trust him?” Bucky asked her as they climbed into the abandoned subway tunnel, and found a place to sleep for the night. To both their amazement Maria had looked at the place, nodded, and secured a corner to sleep in quickly.

 

She gave Bucky a long look, “No, do you trust me?”

 

He smiled, and pulled her to his chest, kissing her lips in a hungry nature, “The wolf sees you as his, so I see you as mine, even the broken parts of the Soldat inside of me want you.”

 

She laughed, “That’s not the answer.”

 

“Of course I trust you, doll.” He kissed her nose this time, and smiled down at her. 

 

“Then trust me that Fury means well. I might not like him, but he was Peggy’s replacement at SHIELD for a reason, and any man she trusted, I trust, even if it’s at a distance.” She assured him, as she rested her head over his chest. 

 

“Why’d you fight for that guy though?” Bucky whispered.

 

“Because, he has a mark that means something to both of us.” She whispered, contently. Bucky nodded his head, his chin bumping against her forehead. 

 

-/-

 

**GROUND LEVEL**

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK**

 

“A moment of your time, Ms. Potts?” Fury caught her elbow and drug her into a hall closet. “In about six days a top secret shed of Stark’s is going to be broken into, and five Iron Maiden suits are going to be stolen.” Fury grinned as Pepper looked startled, and on the verge of calling for help. He slapped a bracelet onto her wrist, “Welcome to STRIKE FORCE DELTA, Potts, you're commanding officer expects you to be ready for extraction seven days from now around 10:30, this will tell you where. Tell Tony you need to take a break for a while. Here is the file, we both know you will want to read it over, and Phil sends his regards.” 

 

With that Nick Fury stepped out of the closet and disappeared down the corridor. 

 

Pepper opened the file and looked down to see something very similar to the night Tony had been formally invited to join the Avengers Initiative - this however was top secret, and one hundred percent renegade. There was no government funding this, or supporting the Strike Force, it was a stealth team by the looks of it, with the phrase ‘Back Up For The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” sprawled across the manila envelope. She slid it into her briefcase and looked at the titanium bracelet on her wrist. A beat later a symbol flashed over it, a golden wing that she recognized instantly had belonged to the Howling Commandos.

 

“Holy shit.” She whispered, she took a deep breath, smoothed down her pantsuit, and made her way to the top floor, to Tony. He was working on something, no doubt to do with the latest tech he had added to the IronMan suit. “Tony.” She wasn’t sure what play she was making, but she’d always trusted Phil, and if Fury ment he was back to life, she could trust that, and this judgement. Will Barnes was a woman worth following. Pepper had admired her from afar for too long, a woman who said ‘fuck you’ to ever tradition out there, and literally was the salt of the Earth, no wonder Peggy had been so fond of her.

 

“Pep.” Tony smiled up at her, something twisted in her heart.

 

“I need…” She paused, her whole body unsure, “I need to take a break, Tony. You… you always promise to put the suit down and then you don’t.” She managed. “I can’t sit by and let you…” She wiggled her hands in the air, and felt tears on her face.

 

Tony blinked at her, finally in her life, she had made him speechless, and it was an ill timed fake breakup. “Oh.” Tony brushed his hand over something he’d been working on on the lab table. “Oh.” He said again, blinking then swallowing. “I understand, if you need some time to yourself… I… you were just almost killed again, and…” He looked out the window, over the balcony. “Yeah.” He said softly. “I understand.”

 

“Tony.” She made an aborted move to take a step towards him. “If… if you're sure, I’m going to… I think I’m going to go to my mothers.” She settled the paperwork down on his desk, his eyes lingered on the bracelet for a moment, as if trying to work out where exactly he had seen one like it before. “I’ll call you, ok?” She didn’t give him time to answer, before she took off, walking briskly to the private elevator. Happy almost ran into her, he handed her a phone that was definitely not STARK technologies, and gave her a knowing look. “Look after him, Hap.”

 

“I will, Pep.” He promised and hugged her tight. “I will.” He kissed her temple. “I don’t know where you're going, but I know that you're going to come back stronger.”

 

-/-

 

**NEW MEXICO DESERT**

**DESERTED SHIELD BASE**

 

For being an astrophysicists Jane Foster spent a lot of time staring blankly at the stars. Her work and partnership with SHIELD ended the day HYDRA reared its ugly head. Darcy, her only friend other than Selvig, and intern, had stayed with her following what Darcy was lovingly calling ‘Star-Crossed Lovers, Level Ten’. In fact, no one bothered to knock on their door, these days, so when a knock sounded, both jumped.

 

“Answer the door.” Jane hissed.

 

Darcy gave her a rude look, “Have you even showered.”

 

“I’m in love with a God who forgets I exist, apparently.” Jane hissed, “I’m allowed my depression.”

 

Darcy might have argued it, but the knocking at the door sounded again. She pushed up from the couch and marched to the door, throwing it open to reveal a black man, in a tailored suit. “Hello, my name is Colonel Rhodes, you’ve heard of me?”

 

“You're WarMachine.” Darcy whispered.

 

“I am.” He nodded, “And I’ve not come to say hi, unfortunately. Ms. Foster, Ms. Lewis.” He moved into the doorway, and past her. “I’ve come with a mission for you both.” He handed them both packets. “SHIELD may have fallen, but our benefactor has not. The American people need protection, the Avengers are one group, and they can’t be everywhere at once, even they need back up.” He paused, “There was a second Initiative, set up as a safeguard, a group of ordinary heroes who under the right circumstances could help bolster the Avengers.”

 

“Strike Force Delta?” Jane read the title over, then looked at him. “And you need an astrophysicists?”

 

“Uhm, no, ma’am, I need strong able-bodied people who love members of the Avengers and are willing to fight for them when they can’t fight for themselves.” He explained, “My wife, Maria Hill and myself are on this team. Pepper Potts as of yesterday morning joined the team. Both Bucky and Will Barnes are on the team, Will is our leader.” He watched them flip through the packet.

 

“So we are like the B-String?” Darcy asked, as she leafed through the information.

 

“I wouldn’t call us the B-String. We are more… apt to do what they can’t.” He shifted, to look out the window. “Captain America is noble, and wants to save everyone - our team leader knows that sometimes it's the play that saves the most that is better, not the one that saves all.” He paused, “She’s a tough cookie, but she’s a strong fighter, and she’s always been one to make waves.” 

 

“You're Tony Stark’s best friend, why would you choose her team?”

 

“She chose me.” Rhodes might have smudged the truth a little. “To be honest, I’m not Avenger material, if they were gone, I could be, but I’d rather not be.” He offered. “I’m more comfortable in this skin, right here, asking you to give up you're lives, asking you to trust, and keep this secret.” He smiled at them both.

 

“I’m in if it means keeping Thor safe.” Jane stood and reached out to shake his hand, instead he slapped a titanium bracelet around her wrist. “What is this?”

 

“This connects you to the team.” He showed her his own bracelet, “Ms. Lewis?”

 

She looked at Jane, “Do we get kick ass costumes?”

 

“Yes, yes you do.” He smiled, “You will be receiving you're gear once you’ve been trained.” He took her hand and slid the titanium bracelet on it, it seemed to wrap around her skin tight enough it wouldn't come off, but it didn’t feel all that constricting either. “Wait for the signal, then walk out on your balcony, the team will pick you up.” He smiled, “Oh, and I won’t be around for your training, but I’m sure that between Hill and Barnes squared you’ll be murder machines in a week.” With that he slid out the door.

 

Darcy and Jane looked at each other then the bracelets, as a set of golden wings flashed over the darkness.

 

-/-

 

**WASHINGTON DC**

**THE VETERANS AFFAIRS CENTER**

 

Sam looked down at his phone in confusion. He had been in the middle of a meeting for the VA, when it had buzzed in his pocket almost irregularly so. Steve had had him searching for Bucky and Will for so long, he’d forgotten in the aftermath and disappointment that Will had an eidetic memory just like Steve.

 

┃Text from Unknown : Do any running lately?

┃Text to Unknown : Who is this?

┃Text to Unknown : Will?

┃Text from Unknown : Text back on burner.

 

He must have scared everyone in the room when he bolted, fast. He couldn’t even be bothered to call Steve, this was something different, he knew it. He almost ran all the way to the local fast shop, where he quickly bought a burner phone. He punched the number into it with gust and sent the following : 

 

┃Text to Unknown : Will?

┃Text from Unknown : Hiya, Sammy :)

┃Text from Unknown : I need a soldier, what do you say?

┃Text to Unknown : Can I call you?

┃Text from Unknown : You wouldn’t be able to hear me.

┃Text from Unknown : You can not tell Steve, under any circumstances.

┃Text to Unknown : Where are you?

┃Text from Unknown : I asked if you were mission ready?

┃Text to Unknown : When?

┃Text from Unknown : Extraction in 36 hours, Lincoln monument, make your choice.

 

He looked at the last text for a long moment, before he pocketed the burner phone. Then he pulled his phone out. “Steve,” He said as soon as his best friend answered. “I just got a call from Riley’s wife, and she has some repairs she needs done around her house, you know she moved to Memphis?”

 

_ “Yeah, do you need me to come with?”  _ Steve asked, seriously.

 

“Uhm, no, man. Just, uh, I’ll call you when I’m on my way back, I’ll keep working on our missing friends.” Sam promised. “I’ll miss you Steve.”

 

_ “I’ll miss you too, Sam. Be safe. If you need anything just call.”  _

 

Sam hung up the phone and darted home. He packed fast, tossing the wingsuit into the duffle bag, and grabbing a couple changes of clothes. In his hurry he almost missed Nick Fury sitting at his kitchen table. “Holy shit, man!” He growled.

 

“Back from the proverbial dead.” Nick smiled at him. “You know that stunt you and Steve pulled in Romania almost cost me my current mission.” Nick looked altogether too comfortable sitting at his table. “But, they say in time good things come to those who wait, she’s good for you, and you her, Sam. But don’t forget who's got her other ear.”

 

“Barnes.” Sam realized, he paused.

 

“Mhm. The ex-assassin werewolf from hell himself, and you know, I know you’ve seen the footage, when they shift, she’s not the one in charge.” Fury inched forward. “A long time ago, I had a plan, and my plan had a back up. This is the file on STRIKE FORCE DELTA.” He pointed to the table. “She has everyone already locked and loaded but you, and you were her only real demand. She wanted the perfect team, well she’s making it.” He flipped it open. “Her second in command is Pepper Potts, I know it shocked the hell out of me too. Sergeant Barnes, Maria Hill, Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster, and Colonel Rhodey were all my picks. You however, you she wanted. Now tell me, how does someone that she only met briefly during the fall of SHIELD have that much of her attention?”

 

Sam bit his lip. “We texted a lot?”

 

“Ever the strange one, her.” He hummed. “The mission is simple. Do what the Avenger’s can’t, and when they need back up, be the back up. They can’t be everywhere at once. Surely you’ve noticed that. They won’t notice what they aren’t looking for.”

 

“What about their lives sir?” Sam asked, curious.

 

“Ah, that was a little tricker. Maria Hill was in deep cover with me, she’s officially dead as of two weeks ago. They even found her body. Her next of kin, her husband Colonel James Rhodes was notified accordingly. Rhodes is going to continue his place at Tony’s side, since it is the most prolific and safest place for him to be. Pepper Potts has asked Stark for a ‘break’ in their relationship, with the recent almost dying, again, he gave it to her without a fight. Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis are currently on a ship in the South Pacific monitoring something about the stars should anyone ask.” Fury explained, “And you made your own lie up.” 

 

“Are you here to talk me out of it, sir?” Sam asked, still confused.

 

Fury gave him a serious once over. “I’m here, son, to give you the most important part of the mission - you're link to your team.” He handed Sam a titanium bracelet, that glew for just a moment when it touched his skin. Sam instantly pulled it over his wrist. Once it settled, coiled like a snake on his arm, a golden symbol of wings flashed on it. “She still believes in the Commando way of life.” He looked sad for a moment.

 

“She’s the one who broke into Stark’s storage building?” 

 

“She was. She took five highly specialized Iron Maiden suits.” Fury smiled, “And a new enhanced set of wings for you, more like hers, carbon fiber, and more responsive to your mind.” He smiled a true smile. “I’ll be in touch son.” Then he touched the communication device in his ear, “Coulson, pull the car around.”

 

Sam stood in his kitchen for a long moment before pulling out the burner phone.

 

┃Text to W.Barnes : Fury just dropped by.

┃Text from W.Barnes : Good, gave you your tech?

┃Text to W.Barnes : He did, any chance you can extract early?

┃Text from W.Barnes : How about now?

 

The last text was accompanied by a picture of his front door. He tucked the burner phone in his pocket and dropped his regular phone on the table, grabbed his duffle and opened the door, to see a sleek black motorcycle, with a woman astride it, when she turned to face him, he could see the goggles Tony had made, and a skull bandana. “You coming or what, birdboy?”

 

He was down the stairs before he had time to think about it. She handed him a helmet, and he tossed his leg over the back of the bike. He had just settled his arms around her middle, when she gunned it, taking off at a speed he’d rather not remember, he let out a little yelp of surprise, which only served to make her laugh. 

 

-/-

 

Sam wasn’t prepared for the team when he met them three hours later. He’d spent most of the ride rethinking his choice. Ocean City, Maryland was bustling to his amusement, they headed straight for the ocean, she didn’t even slow the bike down on the sand, until something shimmered, just out of view, then she hit the breaks and turned, heading the bike straight for the ocean. Sam closed his eyes and held on as the sand beneath them gave way, and she hit the brakes hard.

 

When he opened his eyes he was in a old QuinJet. “Its Russian.” A familiar voice made him look toward the pilot seat to see Bucky Barnes with his longer hair pulled up in a messy bun. “Welcome to STRIKE FORCE DELTA.” He almost sounded like he was excited. 

 

“Get to know you're teammates,” Will ordered as she climbed off the bike and joined Bucky up front, pulling her own set of headphones on, and buckling in. Sam found a seat between Maria Hill and Pepper Potts. 

 

“I’m Sam Wilson, and it’s nice to meet you all.” He managed, after looking around the cabin. Darcy Lewis was asleep with her head in Jane Foster’s lap. Maria Hill was currently reading something in a language he didn’t know, and Pepper regarded him with a sly smile.

 

“Nice to see you again, Sam.” She smiled. “It broke Tony’s heart for me to leave. What is you're leaving doing to Steve?”

 

“I’m not sure, ma’am.” He managed after a moment. “He’s in good hands with Clint and Nat.” 

 

Maria looked up and smiled at him. “Sam Wilson, pararescue, best friend of Captain America, and love interest of one half of the fearless Barnes up there.” She snorted when he flushed. “None of us know where they are taking us to train, but I believe we are probably headed somewhere cold.” She pointed to the parkas hanging from the lockers. “And more than likely, largely abandoned.”

 

“Smart woman.” Bucky called from up front. Will peaked over her shoulder at Sam, and winked. His heart clinched as she linked her hand in Bucky’s, the murderous metal arm pulling her human one up to his lips to kiss every knuckle in turn, before releasing it again. “It would be best if you all rested, like Lewis back there.”

 

“This old bird doesn't fly as good as SHIELDs did, and frankly I’m amazed we got it up and running.” Will explained, before tying something into the keyboard, Marvin Gaye started to play over the speakers, a familiar song that made Sam smile, as both Maria and Pepper regarded him for a moment before dropping their head onto his shoulders.

 

-/-

 

**OYMYAKON, RUSSIA**

**2015**

 

“Where are we?” Darcy yawned, as she looked out the front of the KGB Stealth Jet.

 

Bucky stretched his arms, and nudged Will who was asleep against him. “Russia.” He yawned, then turned back to look at the others, “Wake them up Lewis.”

 

“Sir, yes sir.” She attempted a salute, Bucky flipped her off, Will elbowed him in the head.

 

Once all the recruits were awake, Will looked them over. “Welcome to Oymyakon, Russia. We are about three miles from a secret Soviet Russian Base.” She hummed. “Bucky nor I have ever been here before, so it should prove interesting. This is our first time suiting up.” She explained. “Ok. Pepper, the red suit is obviously yours. The gold suit is mine, it has space in the back for my wings.” She paused. “Maria the grey suit is for you, Darcy the blue suit is for you, and Jane the violet suit for you.”

 

“Remember these suits were all designed for me, or Will.” Pepper offered. “But they also have unique abilities. Maria you're Iron Maiden suit is the female equal to WarMachines. Darcy the blue suit is made for more water capabilities. Jane the violet suit was made to literally reach for the stars. It is the only suit capable of withstanding the pressures of the atmosphere.” 

 

“Suit up.” Bucky clapped his hands, then looked at Sam, “Up here, man.” He waved him up. “She knicked this for you too.” He handed him a new set of wings. “I uhm, actually have to lose some layers for this.” He laughed as he started to undress, “Sorry I tried to kill you that time.”

 

‘I forgive you man, I saw some of what they did to you.” He looked at him for a long moment. “What they did to Will.” The words seemed to gum up in his throat, Bucky turned to look at him, the swirl of dark of a soulmark on his side, running up his ribs. Sam reached out for it before he could stop himself.

 

Bucky caught his hand in midair. “I don’t like to be touched.’

 

“Read ya, loud and clear.” Sam whispered, withdrawing. 

 

By the time Bucky had shifted, the badass women were all in their suits. It was obviously uncomfortable for Will, whose wings fit snuggly if not a little harshly into the back of it. “I think they’ve gained muscle since he made this thing.” She winced as Sam had to help her readjust them, she tried to flap them for a moment, and cringed again. “At least I can fly, we can make adjustments when we get to the base, right Buck.”

 

The white wolf licked the side of her face in agreement. 

 

“Do they fit ok?” She asked the others. Pepper nodded, Jane and Maria just sort of shrugged. Darcy frowned. “Darcy, what’s wrong?”

 

“I have boobs.” Darcy deadpanned.

 

“Er, we can maybe fix that?” Will chewed at her bottom lip. “Come here.” Darcy moved to her, as Will’s hands deftly moved over the chest plate, hooking her clawed fingers over something, before drawing the whole chest plate forward a bit. “Better?”

 

“Why don’t you have gauntlets” Jane asked after a beat.

 

“Claws?” Will brandished her clawed alabaster hands, and shrugged. “I also don’t have a face mask, you do.” She nodded at them to let the face guards up on their helmets. “I believe you should have operating systems Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Stark is still working on Friday, and I have Weatherbee in my goggles.” She explained. “Please grab your belongings.” They filed single file off the jet, with there parkas on their shoulders over the metal suits. “They will take a little while to regulate a core temperature.”

 

Sam had pulled his parka on under his wings at, the moment his boots hit the snow he shivered. Behind him the wolf strutted out, as Will followed, the rear ramp of the jet closed. “We following the Serge?”

 

“That we are.” Will nodded, her eyes rimmed red behind the goggles.

 

-/-

 

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK**

 

“Anyone talk to Fury lately?” Tony asked the room, looking specifically at Steve. 

 

“No, actually, and I haven’t heard from Sam lately.” Steve looked pensive.

 

Tony looked around the room, “Who else hasn’t been around lately?”

 

“Pepper.” Natasha pointed out.

 

Selvig checked his phone, “Jane nor Darcy have checked in in days.”

 

“And we haven’t received a new package from our favorite murderers lately.” Clint hummed.

 

“I think we are missing something.” Rhodey declared, as he looked around the room. “Isn’t this a mission briefing?” All eyes zeroed in on him, “Remember? Stolen goods in Nepal?”

 

The room shuffled for a moment, “Well, they are still going to be stolen goods tomorrow - let’s go check out the haunts of the people we are currently missing.” Steve declared. 

 

“Who has Fury duty?” Tony asked, skeptical.

 

“I got it. I have some questions about Maria, anyway.” Rhodey declared, looking at his bracelet. The movement caught Tony’s attention, the bracelet looked familiar although he couldn’t place where.

 

-/-

 

**OYMYAKON**

**RUSSIA**

**STRIKE FORCE DELTA HEADQUARTERS**

 

The base had a rocket in the front room, literally ready to launch and do God knows what. Most of the sleeping quarters were under the actual rock mountain, as well as the mess hall, and three different levels of training rooms. Will had even found a fight simulator that relied on holographic soldiers. They’d yet to use that, however, they did make use of the shooting range and the gym. There were more than enough MREs left over from the fall of the KGB to keep them fed for years, although sometimes poking at them made both Will and Bucky cringe.

 

Nick Fury had met them a week after their arrival, a week into training. So far, all the new recruits had learned was to eat MREs without complaints, and a variety of cardio exercises. At the month mark, they were all working out in the underground gym, which held a temperature of roughly fifty degrees regardless of the temperature outside, when Sam grew frustrated..

 

“You are pulling your punches, damn it.” Sam snapped at Will.

 

“I didn’t think it was wise for our enhanced team members to completely attack those of you who are not enhanced.” Fury muttered from his spot behind a desk, in the far corner of the gym. He’d set up shop, and started putting his feelers out there for a new mission for them, something the new blood could handle.

 

“Fuck you.” Sam snapped, “If we are going up against the same foes as the Avengers, we need to know how to handle a-” Will cut him off by punching him full force in the nose, the bone cracked, and he was sent flying backwards into the cement wall, both of his eyes bruising instantly. Sam let out a pained whine as Bucky jogged over to him. “By all means, please continue to pull punches.” He grumbled as Bucky started to mop up the blood.

 

“Don’t break the new recruits, Private.” Fury grumbled, not bothering to look up. “Coulson has a mission for us, in about a week HYDRA is going to go after a prototype weapon currently housed in a small town in Kentucky - Calvert City. It has a nuclear plant there, and the weapon runs off nuclear energy, it's been a prototype since the cold war, and until recently no one seemed interested.”

 

“Whose selling it?” Pepper asked, as the other women hovered over Sam, Will was watching him with sorrowful eyes. 

 

“The US Government.” Fury explained, “Someone you might know, General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross.” Fury explained, “His younger cousin, Everett Ross is a personal friend of mine, and didn’t mind passing the information to me.”

 

“Sam’s nose is broken.” Bucky declared after a moment, “Maria, you mind helping him and Will set it?”

 

Will ambled over after grabbing the first aid kit. “The rest of you start sparring. Sam was right, the kiddy gloves have to come off. You need to start practicing with Buck and me in our shifted forms.” She quirked. 

 

“That sounds terrifying.” Pepper whispered, eyeing the pair of them. There first two days in Russia they’d watched a lot of footage of Bucky and Will both during WWII and since then their human and shifted forms kicking ass and literally ripping people apart. 

 

Fury’s phone ringing made them all pause, only three people had that number. He answered it easily. “Hello?” It was a long pause, “Ah, James I can see how that might be a problem.” He put his hand over the proverbial mouthpiece, “The Avengers have noticed you all missing. Please respond appropriately.” 

 

“Alright, well, that means a mission for us.” Bucky looked at Will, who nodded. “While we are gone Maria and Sam can work on weapons training.”

 

-/-

 

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK**

 

“Well, how interesting.” Tony muttered, “Pepper just called to let me know as of a week ago she is touring France, and to expect pictures.” He threw his hands up in frustration. “And you're boyfriend and his wife sent me a package, any word from Sam?”

 

“Sam said his phone was broken, and he just replaced it. He and Riley’s son, Ripley have been bonding. It sounds like its been good for him, although I swore I heard someone else in the background.” Steve muttered.

 

“I talked to Jane, she explained that the only way to make calls was satellite radio, and they had to take a skiff to land to do that, because the radio/phone messed up her readings on the ship.” Selvig explained. “It sounded to me like she and Darcy were ok, just a little overworked.”

 

“Which leaves Fury.” Banner hummed, as he looked around, “Where’s Rhodes?”

 

“He always spends mother's day weekend with his mom.” Tony explained, “She is the only one he has alive, now, and I get it.” Tony hummed. “So about this package, huh?” Tony looked at the small cube, and shook it. “Doesn’t seem too heavy.”

 

“Don’t shake it!” Natasha grabbed it and glared at him. “Don’t you find it weird that all the people outside of us we care about are mysteriously not answering calls until suddenly they are?”

 

“Paranoid Nat.” Clint elbowed her, “And I talked to Fury, or rather he called me to wish me Happy Birthday.” The whole room turned to look at him, “What? Fury’s like our dad.”

 

Tony watched as Nat opened the box carefully. Inside were three USB drives. Two were marked HYDRA INTEL, the third one was marked, CAMS. He pulled his laptop out and spoke, “Jarvis, analyze data on the Intel drives, play the first video on the CAM drive.”

 

The lights lowered on their own, and a video of sorts started. _ “Why am I wearing a collar?”  _ The video swayed a bit, as Will’s smiling face came into focus.

 

“Holy shit.” Steve breathed, “She put a camera on Bucky.”

 

_ “Because you asshole, there isn’t a surveillance system on this base. We need to record this for future generations. This is the first time we know for sure we are going against another activated winter soldier.”  _ She ticked off the information, standing in front of him, a gold suit on her body.

 

“SHE STOLE THAT!” Tony yelped, and glared. “And a whole bunch of other shit.”

 

“Are you sure?” Steve asked as Jarvis froze the frame.

 

“Pretty fucking sure.” Tony glowered. “I built that as a prototype for her after Loki and New York, but I had yet to give it to her, because her wings are always changing weight, and I have no way to account for that when I was making the back of the suit.” He grumbled. “She stole that, four Iron Maiden suits, and a carbon fiber wing suit.”

 

“Jarvis continue.” Clint ordered the AI.

 

As the video started, it was clear they were outside of a compound of sorts.  _ “Hiyah, Tony. Thanks for this, by the way.”  _ She motioned to her suit,  _ “Not as flexible as I would like, but it is a work of art. As I just mentioned, Bucky and I were not the only enhanced soldiers Zola made, or helped make. A serum was made from our blood while we were in captivity, and with the five vials of stolen blood from your father, Tony. They created almost one hundred super soldiers, we’ve been taking them out as we encounter them. Most of them have been in cryo, and on the INTEL drives there are coordinates for you to retrieve their bodies to give their families closure.”  _ She paused and winked at the screen.  _ “Bucky is going to full shift, as am I, then we are going to take on a fully operational base with one noted super inside.” _

 

Then it was silent, until the picture changed, and a bit of fur sprouted around the lense.  _ “Ready, Buck?”  _ The camera nodded up and down, she kissed the lense, then disappeared. 

 

“I believe she’s climbing on his back, sirs.” Jarvis offered.

 

Tony and Steve shrugged, as the video continued. Tony was still a little irritated that she was the mastermind who stole his Iron Maiden suits, but he could come back to that they had bigger fish to fry. 

 

The camera angles were jittery and more than once she had to scrub the lense off as they moved. Inside, cloaked in darkness it didn’t take long for them to encounter the first HYDRA guards. She took them out with Barnes looking on, or at least that was what it seemed like. The death count by the time they made it to level one was almost at fifty if Jarvis was accurate, and he normally was.

 

_ “Still with us loves?”  _ She looked into the camera with a murderous grin on her features.  _ “We are about to enter command. There is a chance that the man we’ve been looking for Vasily Karpov, he’s a pretty high up in the HYDRA world, is here. We checked his house, Cleveland sucks by the way Tony - tell Pepper to mark that off vacation spots.”  _ With that she was stalking forward, her wings tucked to her back, and her whole body rigid.

 

Then three things happened at once, someone turned the lights out on screen, which didn’t seem to matter because the camera automatically flickered on night vision. Second, someone started shouting off screen - a familiar series of words that made the wolf snarl. Third, Will screamed - and not a violent avenging sort of scream, but a startled pain one.

 

The camera blinked black.

 

Then it was fuzzy for a few moments, before it was awesomely bright.

 

“JARVIS!” Tony ordered, “Run sound waves on that last one, pick out the things as they happened. Sort out who was using Barnes trigger words.” Steve looked sick, as Clint and Natasha both moved to steady him, “Call it Cap.”

 

“I need to know, go on Jarvis.”

 

When the image equalized, the camera was sideways. White furs still poked around the edges of the viewing field, and Will could be seen a few feet away, on her knees. Before her was two bodies, one that belonged to a soldier, all decked out in tactical gear, the face was a young woman, no more than twenty. But it wasn’t her face that caught the rooms attention, the woman was practically beheaded, her neck ripped from her shoulders and her chest gouged open. An older looking man was on the floor, with two holes through his head. A man, was standing over him. 

 

_ “Please tell me you were sent here to rescue me?”  _ The man begged.

 

_ “My name is Will Barnes, who are you?”  _ She asked, as she shifted back to mostly human.

 

The man moved to squat before her, which had the wolf growling.  _ “My name is Barney Barton.”  _

 

“Pause Jarvis!” Nat ordered, as Clint approached the wall, to look at the mans face. “Clint is that him?”

 

Clint gaped up at the man who was bent over Will. “Barney…” He sounded so broken and terrified. 

 

“Who is that, Clint?” Steve asked, carefully, inching towards one of his closer friends.

 

“My older brother.” Clint whispered.

 

Tony made a startled noise. “Jarvis, if you’d please.”

 

_ “Like… Clint’s brother?”  _ Will asked her voice crisp.  _ “Because if so, you have a lot of things to explain like where the hell have you been? Do you work for Hydra? What the fuck, man!”  _ She stood, swaying slightly, now that she was upright Tony let out a deeply pained noise, the chest plate of the suit had been damaged, the part that would normally cover her left ribs had been torn away, and it looked like two of her ribs had been pulled free from her body. Instantly Barney moved to help her stand, and Bucky’s growling intensified.

 

_ “You know my brother?” _ Barney looked at the camera, directly.  _ “What is that?” _

 

_ “That is Sergeant Bucky Barnes, Captain America’s best friend, and my husband.”  _ She snapped.  _ “Now let's get the hell out of here, Buck are you ok?  _ She was crawling forward to check on him, when the wolf lashed out, sinking his teeth into her forearm.  _ “SOLDAT!”  _ She snarled at him, “ _ STOP!”  _ Bucky snarled around her arm, where his teeth had broken skin. 

 

Steve nor Tony knew how long she stayed like that, until his breathing equaled out and he let her go, he stood on trembling legs - or at least it looked like the wolf was trembling because the film was practically vibrating. The camera grew close to Will, and Steve snorted, “He is apologizing by licking her.” He explained. Then her face, with bruising around her lips appeared,  _ “No offense but I’m not letting you're brother run free Clint, he’s going with me, somewhere safe.”  _

 

The screen went black.

 

“They have my brother. HYDRA had my brother.” Clint sat himself down on the floor and curled in on  himself. “I can’t…” He signed. “He’s alive.” His fingers continued moving, but neither Natasha or Banner, who had joined them late, could pick out the sign language he was using.

 

-/-

 

**OYMYAKON**

**RUSSIA**

**STRIKE FORCE DELTA HEADQUARTERS**

 

“THEY WERE TESTING SERUM ON CHILDREN!” Will screamed, barely standing as she struck out against Fury, the older man holding her up and letting her hit him in one go. Since their return three hours prior with not only Barney Barton - who was extremely confused with the recent turn of events (Fury had decidedly left him to be handled by the women) and a two tiny children : Anya and Luka. Both were enhanced to some level. “DID YOU KNOW THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY WHEN YOU SENT US TO THE BASE!” 

 

Fury hugged her as she started to cry harder, “Will, you were a child when Zola got ahold of you.” He hugged her tighter to his chest, then looked over her head, to see Bucky cradling three year old Anya and four year old Luka to his chest, both were sensitive to scent, from what he could gather, since they were both breathing him in. 

 

“They are like me.” Bucky looked between their heads and frowned. “Wolves.” He offered when Fury raised an eyebrow. “I think, maybe feline? But definitely shifters.” 

 

“She’s out.” He motioned at Will, Fury ambled around her form to scoop her into his arms. “We can’t stay here, not with children, they’ll freeze.” He sighed. “Moving bases was NOT on my todo list today, Barnes. Both of you are huge headaches.”

 

He handed her off to Sam, who for the most part was like the third piece of the Barnes puzzle. 

 

-/-

 

Pepper leaned against the kitchen counter, Jane was cooking, while both Darcy and Maria tried to piece together as much of Barney’s story as they could. “You don’t know the children?”

 

“Other than their names, no. I didn’t realize I was working for HYDRA until you're attack dogs came after me.” He muttered, “The man who hired me Rumlow or something, was a SHIELD agent, he had me find orphans, children no one would miss. I thought he was just making child soldiers like the KGB used to.” He frowned, “By the time I realized what was really going on… was the night they showed up.”

 

“Ok.” Darcy cleared her throat, “What do you know about them?”

 

“Out of about eighty children I’ve brought in in the last eight months, those are the only two left.” He looked at his hands for a long moment, “I messed up, huh?”

 

“Welcome to the team, that doesn’t mind fuck ups.” Pepper offered him, as Fury ambled into the kitchen, looking every bit like the old man he was starting to be.

 

“Falcon, Private and Serge have the kids with them, on lockdown in the enhanced chamber.” Fury offered, not meeting anyones eyes. “Will got hurt, bad, and I don’t know if it was a failure in the suit or not, Pepper. The rest of you need to be aware that sometimes the chest plates fail, apparently. Pep, could you look at it?” She nodded at him, “Barton, you are going to be bunking with me.” He looked around the room, “What’s for food Jane?”

 

“A whole bunch of soup. I managed to find like twelve soup related MREs and just sort of… mixed them? I know Will and Bucky will need something a bit stronger, but I don’t…” Jane frowned.

 

“I can grab them three of the salisbury steak ones they like, each.” Darcy hopped up, and headed down the corridor, fuzzy pjs on her frame.

 

Maria looked at Fury, “When do we move out, sir?”

 

“As soon as Will is operational.” Fury muttered, “Maria I need you filtering through locations that it would be safe for us to hide out in. Preferably not in North or South America.” Fury ordered. 

 

It was Pepper who offered to carry the food back to the enhanced lockdown corridor. She found one large white wolf, with two brown wolf puppies asleep across his back, and Will curled into his side, on the other side of Will with large fur lined blankets over both of them, was Sam. “I’m leaving it here, food for you guys.” 

 

-/-

 

**BEAR ISLAND**

**“Bjørnøya”**

**NORWAY**

 

They were used to the KGBJet now, but it was different with little kids who wanted to climb all over them and play. Bucky was piloting while Fury was in the co-pilot seat. Will was laying in the hanger, with the kids climbing over her, Sam in the floor playing peekaboo with them as well. Pepper was fast asleep with her head in Maria’s lap, Jane with her head in Darcy’s, when they started the descent.

 

“Are you sure about this, Fury?” Bucky asked, carefully.

 

“The island is remote.” Fury offered, then continued, “Bear Island is uninhabited except for personnel working at the island's meteorological station Herwighamna. Along with the adjacent waters, it was declared a nature reserve in 2002. The only thing we know that no one else knows, is that a HYDRA base was built under the island in the late 50’s.” 

 

“Wow, sneaky.” Sam stood between them, a smile on his face. “Are those whale bones?” He peered over Bucky down to the island. “Holy shit.”

 

-/-

 

Jane was by far the most silent ninja of them all, she crept into Will’s chamber like a ghost. She gently rubbed Will’s shoulder, until the Private jolted awake, knife at Jane’s throat, and wild eyed. “Shit, sorry.” Will tucked the blade away. “What’s up? It’s like two in the morning.”

 

“I need to show you something.” Jane whispered, “Please.”

 

Both Bucky and Sam were now awake, “Can they come?”

 

“It has to do with our secret project.” Jane huffed, “Not even Darcy knows.”

 

“They won’t tell.” Will said, effectively ruling that both Bucky and Sam could follow her out of the bedroom, with Jane. Anya and Luka were both sleeping with Pepper and Maria, they’d created a rotation schedule - since whoever had the kids at night didn’t get much sleep They still had prolific nightmares, and while they fell asleep looking human often they woke in wolf forms.

 

They crept along the corridor, until they reached Jane’s observation tower and lab. Inside, an eerily looking portal of silver metal was harnessed. “I don’t have the Tesseract.” Jane started, “But I do have your connection with Loki and a lengthy understanding of astrophysics. From Erik’s notes or what he can remember during his last interaction with Loki, it’s all mathematics, and having a power source.”

 

“Do we have a power source?” Bucky asked, tiredly rubbing sleep from his eyes.

 

“You do know I was mostly joking about wanting my own demigod, right?” Will asked, blinking at the portal, her eyes shifting from Jane to the metal contraption.

 

“We have something I can replicate.” Jane chose to ignore Will’s admission.

 

“Which is what?” Sam asked, looking somewhat intrigued and altogether alarmed.

 

Jane pointed to the gold suit, “An Arc Reactor.”

 

“Holy shit, you're right.” Will gave her a bright smile. “We just need to gather up the other ingredients, right?”

 

Jane shook her head. “Most of it was here at the base. What exactly the Soviets were up to - I don’t think I ever want to know. I’m missing Iridium. Which we only need if you want me to hold the portal open.” She hummed. “If we bring Pepper and Maria in on this, we should be able to update your bracelet, Will - so it can literally signal us across the stars. We could send you to a definite point - somewhere on Asgard, as close to Loki as we could formulate, based on what I know from Thor and what you managed to get from his blood memories - yes I read your file” Jane huffed as Will gave her a dubious look, “A quirk of you're mutation. Now, you know more about Asgard than most humans - so where would Loki be?”

 

“In the prison cells, under the main chambers of the castle that Odin and Frigga live in.” Will huffed, “So what it’s a one way trip?”

 

“Not quite.” Jane smiled again, marvelous, although she looked tired and had bags under her eyes. “I can send you there for an allotted amount of time, then open the portal back up.”

 

“So you can send me to location A, and give me say an hour, then open the portal at location A again.” Will deduced. “Jane, you didn’t have to do this, I honestly was joking.”

 

“I’m the worst fighter.” Jane looked at the floor, “I can barely operate my suit, the last two missions you had to fly me home because it doesn’t respond to me.” Jane sighed. “I’m useless except with this… I can give you access to a demiGod. You have to convince him, and I’d love to know how you plan to do that. It’s gonna take me weeks to get this thing finished.”

 

“Jane.” Sam stepped forward. “If you want we can work on your hand to hand combat more.” Sam offered, “Bucky and I don’t mind giving you extra training lessons. If you're not getting something…”

 

“You understand us well enough.” Bucky declared, “You're own fear of being good at something other than science stops you.” She looked at the ground again, “You know how to build a space portal… that suit is kiddy stuff compared to this. Stark Junior hardly managed to save New York - trust me, Will’s told me all about how great the Avengers are.” Bucky folded his arms. “The thing about you, Jane, is you are gifted. I was once, a trained sniper, so the army wanted me in positions I didn’t like. I wanted to be a scout, instead they gave it to this kid from Jersey, it was his death that got us captured. Will and I were chosen for experimentation by Zola because of our PREVIOUS strengths. Had we not been afraid back then, to do new things, neither one of us would have been captured, but I was pointedly ignoring my job as a sniper to help her and she was ignoring the dead to try to get us both out of there.” He paused. “When I came out of the Winter Soldier, and remembered who I was, all I wanted to do was die. Will stopped me from doing that. My relationship with her, it's damn near killed me and her both multiple times. Do you think after all that I wanted to be a hero?”

 

Jane frowned, “I don’t know.”

 

“No, dammit. I wanted to finish killing Hydra, then hide from who I was. But here I am, once again learning that just because I’m good at one thing - in this case murder, I can’t be afraid of being good at other things, in this case being a sort of hero, five days a week.” Bucky grumbled. “You can continue doing this if you want.” He motioned at the portal, “But I want you're best on missions, or it’ll be extra training with the wolf and vampire and no extra food.”

 

Bucky marched off, with Sam grumbling about grumpy old men, and following him. “He’s right, you know.” Will folded her arms over her chest. “Everyone but Fury and Barton.” She offered. “It can me a team project, or something.”

 

-/-

 

Fury left them to their own devices three weeks later. Bucky and Will, with Darcy and Sam, headed to Germany to take out a small base, dropping Fury off in France along the way, he had a meet and greet in the shadows with Everett Ross. While they were away, Jane, Pepper, and Maria worked almost around the clock on fortifying the arc reactor, and increasing its power. While the kids - Anya and Luka played with their new toys, which included legos and a plastic kitchen, in the far corner of the lab - or spent days on end with Barney out and about on the island gathering different random things.

 

Barney, like Clint, did his watching from a distance. “The women aren’t fooling me.” He muttered, holding Luka’s hand in his right, and Anya’s hand in his left, as they walked along the spines and ribs of whales, on the beach. “They are spending more time in the lab than out, and it makes me wonder what they are up to.” He muttered, looking dejected and hopeful. “Do you two lovelies know anything?” 

 

He received no answer. Neither child vocalized, except to laugh or cry.

 

“Right, of course not.” He sighed. “I have two kids, well, maybe three now. Laura was pregnant when I took my last merch job, which is what ended me up here.” He sighed. “Cooper and Lila are pretty cool kids, you’ll like them. And if I do have another kid, it’ll be younger than you two, so don’t eat it.” He settled them down for a picnic of sorts, he’d carried a backpack down the beach with him.

 

As he fixed them both little sandwiches, he thought about Clint. His younger brother who he absolutely adored. They’d ran away as youngsters to join a traveling carnival. They’d quickly learned they were excellent acrobats, and archers. Actually, there was nothing they couldn’t do once they decided to do it. Laura, he’d met almost ten years ago, on a mission. They’d only just gotten married three years ago, and he’d left SHIELD prefering to take Mercenary missions - bigger pay; less bosses.

 

He missed Laura, and Clint dearly. 

 

He knew that Bucky and Will had a plan, they were the sort to always know the game, and watch the board - waiting to make the calculated move, but he was starting to wonder exactly what that was. 

 

-/-

 

It was a successful mission, and Fury has not requested extraction, so the four flew back to Bear Island, and promptly changed clothes, ate and fell into bed. With them boxes of research, several blueprints for something, but it didn’t make sense to anyone, and a lead on current HYDRA forces. “We are sending that out in the morning. Pep you and Maria are to take the Jet with Bucky flying into Norway, mail this out, and get a list of supplies. Stay under the radar as much as you can.” Will had told them before throwing herself into bed. 

 

It was a little after one in the morning when Jane’s excited cries woke them all up, even Barney, who Will was relieved to see arrived at the sound of screams with a pistol in each hand, Anya and Luka were trailing behind, holding hands, and looking more like they wanted to cry than anything else. 

 

“It works!” Jane said after a long moment.

 

“You know that how?” Bucky grumbled.

 

“What works?” Barney asked, curious.

 

“I jokingly told Jane I wanted my own demiGod, so she apparently built me a mechanism for traveling through time and space so I could recruit a familiar face.” Will explained.

 

“He’s not friendly.” Pepper grumbled.

 

“He’s had over two years in lock up to think about his demons.” Darcy muttered.

 

“Loki.” Sam clarified when Barney still looked confused.

 

Barney gave them wide eyes. “Uhm, as in homicidal maniac from Asgard that tried to rule the world and broke New York after the Hulk did?”

 

“He was under the control of the Tesseract.” Will defended. “You're brother was too, but we are all quick to forgive him his sins, as was Erik Selvig - whose notes are the only reason we were able to recreate this masterpiece.”

 

“How does it work?” Pepper settled on, as Maria circled the portal.

 

“Well, I tested it with an apple.” Jane offered. “I fired it up at 11:15, and set an apple through, just on the other side, then I powered it down. At 12:15 I powered it back up, and vuala! The apple was there, I just reached through and grabbed it.” She brandished an apple at them. 

 

“So you're trusting an apple.” Maria hummed. “Will is made of flesh, bones, blood, nerves, organs, and metal.”

 

“Do you trust me?” Will asked the room at large. They all nodded. “Then trust Jane, I have complete faith in her.” She stepped toward the wall and motioned for both Bucky and Sam to follow, “Listen, I have to be the one to go through. I know where Loki is and I can get to him. We have a bond, I almost drained him dry once, and glimpsed into the mind of the frost giant from Asgard. It’s risky, and I’ll be luck to make it to him. If I am not at my rendezvous point in an hour, you call the Avengers, and tell them everything.” She paused, “If I don’t come back you have to take care of Steve, and each other.”

 

“This is insanity.” Sam grumbled.

 

“It’s her choice.” Bucky crossed his arms over his chest.

 

Will looked between them. “When I make it back, we should celebrate - in not a PG manner.” She snorted, as she hugged Bucky, and kissed his lips softly, she repeated the hug with Sam, but kissed him with a little more determination. “Keep each others six, ok?” Then she looked at Barney, “Until I step back through that portal, Pepper is in charge. Do I make myself clear?”

 

“In the event that you don’t come back.” Barney started. “I will be more than happy to keep Anya and Luka with me, I have a family.”

 

Will nodded. “Fire it up, Jane.”

 

“Right now?” Jane looked startled.

 

“Yes, right now.” Will grumbled.

 

“You can’t go alone.” Pepper declared. “It’s obvious to me that you should take someone with you.”

 

“Jane would be obvious but she has to run the portal.” Maria agreed, “I have zero desire to go, the boys are obviously out - they look threatening, the kids are also out, Pepper is you're second. I think Darcy should go.”

 

Will looked back at Darcy. “Are you ok with that?”

 

Darcy swallowed audibly. “We should change clothes, then yeah.”

 

Will looked down and nodded. Twenty minutes later they were both standing back in the lab, Will had a backless long sleeve shirt on with blue jeans and combat boots, and her dark hair in a ponytail. Next to her Darcy had on her bluejeans, a long sleeve shirt, converse, and her hair in a messy bun. Guns on both their hips, and titanium bracelets on their wrist. 

 

“Ok.” Darcy muttered.

 

“Hold hands.” Will whispered, tangling their fingers together. “Ready when you are Jane.” They both looked back to see Jane, who looked terrified.

 

“Just, walk through, when I say, ok?” Jane shouted over the whirl of the arc reactor powering up. For a moment it looked like the night sky, then the harness moved, flying through the galaxies until Asgard came into view, then a chamber, under the night sky. “Ok.” Jane whispered. 

 

Will stepped first, grabbing Darcy’s hand a little more forcefully. Then they stepped through together. Everyone crowded around the harness to see both Will and Darcy walking along a bridge of sorts, almost like a lengthy corridor, in the dead of night. Then, abruptly the portal darkened, and flickers, before it shut down completely.

 

“Is that supposed to happen?” Pepper asked, as she looked back at Jane.

 

Jane looked frantic, “No, not really.”

 

-/-

 

In the darkness Darcy pushed closer to Will. “We are on the darkside of the moon.” Will whispered. “See those faint lights?” Will asked, she assumed Darcy nodded, “That's the castle. For us to get there in time, we are going to have to fly. I need you to trust me, Darcy.” Then Will dropped her hand, and took three large steps away.

 

Will shifted, her eyes burning red in the night, making Darcy yelp. Will snorted, before blinking the darkness into vision. Her goggles adjusted to the darkness as Weatherbee came online. She stepped closer to Darcy, grabbing the woman around her waist, before kicking off the ground.

 

The castle of Asgard came into view, looking like a triangle bounding from the ground. “Why are they large gold cylinders?” Darcy muttered.

 

“No clue.” Will muttered. As she continued on. “The rainbow thing is the Bifrost and we want to avoid that.” She landed them in a garden, near what she perceived from memories to be Loki’s old chamber. “Come on,” She shifted back to her human form, and positioned Darcy’s hands on her shoulders, “Weatherbee, night vision - please.” Her goggles continued to stream.

 

Leading Darcy into a room that obviously had been untouched since Loki’s imprisonment, made her cringe, “We’ve been here only ten minutes.” Darcy checked her timer on her bracelet, as Will quickly grabbed a leather cloak, she tossed another one at Darcy. “What is this?”

 

“Asgardian robe, pull it on.” She grumbled, “Plus it’s Loki’s and he might want one of them. Now, there is a small..” She trailed off as she looked for the prism necklace, finding it under his pillow, she pulled it over her head, “Frigga gave it to him a long time ago, now come on.” She reached for Darcy’s hands, and once again settled them on her shoulders. 

 

The chambers were absent of people, but as they wove down, a loud party could be heard. “I can smell Thor.” She whispered to Darcy.

 

“Let’s not attract attention.” Darcy shot back.

 

The pair quickly ducked around a corner as warriors spilled out of a lit doorway, the sound of a party behind them. “But the night is young, Fandril, why leave!” Thor bellowed.

 

Will covered Darcy’s mouth with her hand, and pulled them closer to the wall. The warrior Thor had called after turned back towards him, allowing Will to force herself and Darcy into a spare dark room. “This way.” She ordered, once she found a spiral staircase. “Darcy, quickly.”

 

Darcy tripped over her own feet more than once on the way down, in the pitch black of the stone laid stairway, Will caught her, again and again, when they reached the bottom, Will snarled. “Loki’s here, but someone else is too. Stay.” She ordered Darcy and pushed her flush against the stones and mortar.

 

Will slunk into the darkness, and for a brief moment Darcy saw her in the light, before she heard a grunt, and then Will was back, dragging a gard with her. “We don’t have much time, come on.” She grabbed Darcy again, and darted into the light. 

 

Loki was pacing. “Hey, dude.” Darcy waved to catch his attention.

 

“Ah, the vampire who makes play like a woman.” Loki hissed. “Does Thor know you're here?”

 

“If you are smart, Loki, you won’t call him.” Will stepped closer to his cell. “This won’t let you out will it.” She looked at it.

 

“Not without my mother.” Loki grumbled. “You haven’t gotten her by chance have you.”

 

“Let’s sort that out in a minute. Darcy keep a look out.” Will ordered. “Listen, we both know the last time we met you were under the power of the Tesseract. Seeing as Thor seemed to think you were a good man under it all, something always bothered me. You never wanted the throne - you only want you're brothers love.” 

 

Loki glared at her. 

 

“I’ve come to ask you to join my team.” Will explained. “I am not an avenger, consider me an anti-hero.” She explained. “I lead Task Force Delta. On paper we are the backup crew for the Avengers, in action we are more like murderers who make sure most problems not worthy of the Avengers are dealt with before our ‘mightiest’ heroes have to deal with them.” She explained. “I don’t know much about you - in honest, but I know you're Thor’s biggest and most loyal follower.”

 

“And you follow Captain America.”

 

“I do.” She said after a moment. “Are you willing to be a team member?”

 

“How are you getting me out?” Loki asked.

 

“I have a plan for that, but I need your help. We are on limited time. We have thirty minutes to get out of here. Frigga will come if you call for her, right?” Will asked. “I know about Asgard, through your blood - I understand the magic of a blood oath, and I know you're mother is magic.”

 

“I can get her here.” Loki stepped closer to the holding cell. “Why me?”

 

“I believe in second chances.” Will quirked.

 

“You and Darcy hide.” Loki ordered. “I’ll call for my mother..”

 

-/-

 

Frigga was beautiful, and obviously a devout mother. As she neared, Loki stood ramrod straight, “Mother.” He called her. “I need to ask you to do something.”

 

“My love, I’d do anything for you.” Frigga swore.

 

Frigga stepped closer. “I told you of the Tesseract, and how it controlled me, when Odin refused my pleas after I fully came out of the poison.” He explained. “Remember also, how Thor explained he was an Avenger?”

 

“Yes, darling, I remember both.” Frigga swore, brushing a curly lock of hair from her face, tilting her head in thought.

 

“I believe I told you of the beast, who play like humans?” Loki waited for her to nod, “One is here - do not raise the alarms!” He urged her. “Will is a friend.” He waved his arm, Will drew herself and Darcy out. “This is Darcy, friend of Jane - Thor’s love.” Loki explained. 

 

“Do you need Thor?” Frigga asked Will as she neared.

 

Both dropped to their knees in a bow. “I have come to recruit Loki, great Queen.” Will admitted, freely. “Loki is a good man, and has never wronged me. He was selected by my team, who are a backup force to the team Thor plays on. We are called Strike Force Delta and we believe in second chances. We do what the Avengers’ can't, and we handle the small things for them.”

 

“She has requested a blood oath.” Loki continued. “To tie me and her together in a partnership of sorts.”

 

“I value Loki, and his heart.” Will explained. “I understand you're customs because I once drank from his veins.” She continued. “I know a blood oath would bind us to honesty, and loyalty. Queen Frigga, I promise to you this is not a trick - I want Loki on my team, fighting beside me, to protect Midgard. I want him to know he can trust me to fight for him as well. It is a two way street.”

 

“In return, I need to be freed, and something made to look like me left here.” Loki continued.

 

Frigga gave them both a long look before she spoke. “Will Barnes of Earth, I will free my son, and bind you two together in a blood oath, but I want a promise - woman to woman, mother to mother, from you.”

 

“Anything, fair Queen.” Will promised.

 

“If Loki ever wants to stop fighting, you’ll let him. If he ever wants to come home to visit you will help him. I don’t know how you got here, but I doubt you used the bifrost. I want you to promise to protect him like you would you're own soul mates - the other two men from 1940 and the boy who flies with fake wings.”

 

“I promise Frigga.” Will stated.

 

“Then tonight you will make two blood oaths.” Frigga toned, “And you.” She pointed at Darcy, “Will not speak a word of what you see or hear with this magic.”

 

“I am only her back up.” Darcy promised. “Blood oaths, then can you transport us to the far stone bridge, in the shadow of the castle? Will flew us here, but we are running out of time.” 

 

-/-

 

“You needed to open it ten minutes ago.” Bucky hissed.

 

“You yelling at me isn’t going to make it happen any faster!” Jane snapped back.

 

“HERE!” Pepper cried out triumphantly. “The Arc was drained, I powered it up with the solar panels from the other side of the island.”

 

“Genius.” Jane smiled at her, then flipped a switch.

 

The portal opened, in a whirl of commotion, then three forms fell through. Loki was the first one to stand, then he pulled Darcy and Will up. “Close it.” He muttered to Jane, who nodded mutely and powered it down. “Now destroy it.”

 

“I just promised you're mother with my blood I would help you return if you ever wanted to.” Will caught his shirt front.

 

Loki blinked at her. “I don’t want to go back to Asgard. When they finally figure out it’s not me in there…” He shivered. “I’ll never be welcome.”

 

“This is the dude.” Sam circled him.

 

Bucky snarled at him. “Smells off.”

 

“Well, Buck, that would be because his mother just threw us across a freaking space river to get us to the extraction point on time.” Darcy snapped. “I want a shower.”

 

“Go, you brat.” Will shoved at her shoulder. “Come on, Loki. Let me introduce you to the people around you. This is Pepper Potts, her long time on again off again boyfriend is Tony Stark. This is Maria Hill, her husband is James Rhodey - Tony’s best friend. Jane of course is Thor’s love on earth, Darcy is her assistant, and best friend. You remember Steve right?” Loki nodded, “Well me, Buck, and Sam all belong to him.” She explained, “And Nick Fury when he’s around. Remember Clint? The arrow guy you mind controlled with the Tesseract?” Another nod, “This is his older brother, Barney.” 

 

“I apologize for my previous grievances against your loved ones.” Loki offered.

 

Will rolled her eyes. “This is Anya and Luka - made with another stone like the Tesseract, although we have not been able to track it down yet.” She explained. “When we do, try not to fall in love with it, ok?”

 

“Never again.” Loki vowed.

 

“Sam, Buck, show him to his room.” Will smiled after him, “And Loki, if you find a way to screw me, I will drain you of your blood.”

 

-/-

 

Fury remained in France another week, when he landed with Everett Ross in tow Will approached Fury. “I've had Jane working. I've spoken to Loki.”

 

“He is in jail on Asgard.” Nick grumbled. Beside him Ross looked utterly perplexed.

 

“Yeah. Let's pretend that's true. He's our newest recruit. And between you and me, you should consider being nicer to the younger generation. Also, Jane can now open galactic portals.” Will smiled warmly at him. “But we destroyed the portal because last time you or the government had that power you majorly fucked it up.”

 

“Why the hell does that not…. Wait a minute…” Fury started, only to be stopped by the physical appearance of Loki. “I draw the line!” He shouted at Will. “We've reached a new level of insanity.” Next to him Ross looked confused and startled. 

 

“You told me the unit was mine. They have a demiGod. I wanted a demiGod. If he misbehaves I have plans for him.” Fury watched as Loki shivered. “Come along, Loki, of Asgard. We have work to do.” 

 

“She has an authority problem.” Bucky sounded from beside him making Fury yelp. “I watched the New York footage. Guys a damn good fighter. Plus he's totally in love with his adoptive brother.”

 

“Why?” Fury whined as Hill joined them. “What did I do in a past life to deserve this.”

 

“Well you were THE spy.” Barney hummed. “Loki’s not that bad. Will's got him on a leash.”

 

“She threatened to drink him dry.” Darcy whispered.

 

Fury flailed a little. “How are you able to sneak up on me.” He demanded.

 

“We've had amazing teachers.” Pepper and. Jane offered at the same time to his left.

 

“Damnit. I wanted them to make fighters not ninjas. I'm starting to think I made a terrible mistake.”

 

Sam laughed, “You created a monster,. Man.” Fury looked up to see Luka on his shoulders and Anya in his arms. “Loki is gonna be good for us. He can give us multiple opponents. You know that illusion thing he does.” 

 

“He's a wanted war criminal.”. Fury contested, looking at Ross for confirmation.

 

“They are you're elite death squad, I am only here to brief them on their next sanctioned mission - you drugged me and I have no tech and no clue where we currently are.” Ross huffed.

 

“So are Will and I.” Bucky shrugged as he took Anya. “Come on Sam. Loki promised to cook tonight. Something able apple pie was mentioned.”

 

“Jane how did you get him out?” Fury demanded.

 

Jane winked at him, “A lady never kisses and tells.”

 

-/-

 

**Soroca, Moldova**

**Soroca Fort**

**STRIKE FORCE DELTA**

 

“So, Ross sent us here.” Pepper sipped on her latte and looked around. “Why are we here?” She asked her com, next to her Loki, dressed like a civilian sipped his own tea, and frowned. 

 

“This was once a part of Soviet Russia.” Darcy explained, “The KGB had a base here.” She paused, “HYDRA is believed to be working out of the base.” Will smiled proud at the fact that Darcy was actually listening when she briefed them. 

 

“There could be more kids like Anya and Luka.” Sam continued, coming over the coms. Pepper sighed, and looked at Loki in a manner he interpreted to mean  _ I am so done with this, you too? _

 

“We’ve got movement.” Will hissed. “There is a tanker truck coming, headed straight for the east end of the fort, Barney.”

 

“I got eyes on it.” Barney muttered, “Buck is sniffing around.”

 

“The dog jokes are getting old.” Maria snipped.

 

Rhodey laughed over the com systems. “Why were we all hands on deck?”

 

“Last time we went after a live base we found Barney.” Will snapped back.

 

“The base is under the fort.” Barney sounded. “Bucky has the door marked with his scent, and we just watched the tanker truck disappear into a tunnel.”

 

“Ok.” Will hummed. “Ok.” She paused. “Let’s meet back at HQ and go over what we know.”

 

-/-

 

They didn’t know much. “Ross is worse as an informant than Fury.” Bucky snapped, now clothed. “And it looked like that tanker truck was loaded to the brim..’

 

“This is the first time all of us are on an active mission. We need to be cautious and ready to cover each other.” Sam declared. “We don’t know much, so we are basically going in blind.”

 

“I don’t need to suggest this,” Maria started, “But maybe we should do teams.”

 

“That’s a good plan.” Will chewed on her lip. “Loki, Bucky, and I have powers to spare, not making us better - just stating it. Jane I want you with Bucky. Rhodes and Maria. Pepper and Loki - you two make a good team up. Barney with me. Darcy with Sam.” She sighed. “It’s not our normal team ups, and you all know why. Out there, all of us have to be comfortable with any member of the team watching our six.”

 

“Ok.” They all agreed after some time.

 

“We go in at night, ninja style.” Bucky ordered. “And we go in ready to kill.”

 

Darcy made a startled noise, but then caught Will’s gaze. “I know that still bothers you and Jane, ok?” She waited, “But honestly, you have to get over it.”

 

By nightfall they’d broken into their groups. Will and Barney nodded to Bucky, who had shifted into his wolf form, with Jane on his back, her metal suit on her shoulders. Everyone else was already in place, when Will leaned forward and whispered, “Clint trust me to fly him, do you?”

 

Barney looked back at her, green eyes sparking in the darkness, he nodded to her, and withdrew his first arrow, with his bow in one hand, he looked at her, “How do we do this?”

 

“Trust.” She grabbed him around his chest, from behind, then they lifted off. Barney was proud of himself for not shrieking. They circled the top of the column while the others disappeared into the darkness. “I don’t like sitting this one out.” She told him.

 

“You made the plan.” Barney huffed, letting her set them both down atop the stone tower. “But I don’t like how out here makes me feel exposed.”

 

“Well, then.” She sighed. “We trust Pepper to make the right calls.”

 

“I get why you split us up.” Barney whispered.

 

“Yeah, enlighten me.” She muttered, rubbing her arms against the cold. She’d abandoned her broken suit that morning, boxing it up and shipping it to Stark Junior, along with everything else he would need to finally notice the last base. Fury and her agreed on the end game, and the final pieces of the puzzle were finally molding into a clear picture.

 

Barney tilted his head a little, then spoke, “You and Barnes and Sam, you three are superheroes - legitimate Avengers, hell - you are an Avenger, admittedly one that went off the reservation a little on a murdering spree - but you have all the components. So does your husband, and Sam Wilson. The rest of us really are B-list heroes, you want all of us to be in the hotseat, and know how to lead.”

 

She snorted, “I want all of us to be able to make the hard plays - yes. But not because I believe I’m a hero, or that Bucky is, or Sam. No, I understand that eventually even superhumans run into things that they can’t come back from, and when that happens Fury can’t be the leader. You’ll all be spies with color coordinated eyepatches.” She muttered.

 

Barney sighed into the night. “Movement.” He whispered as his eyes noticed something coming toward them. “It could be Rhodey and Maria.”

 

“It’s too soon.” She muttered back.

 

A young girl, maybe thirteen moved toward them, her eyes alive with fear. “Are you the Private? And the circus man?” She whispered, just as a little boy maybe eight revealed himself, holding her hand. “The lady on the wolf sent us to you.”

 

Barney nodded his head, and motioned them to sit down beside him while Will spoke over the coms, “Jane - did you send two enhanced children our way?”

 

Jane’s voice broke the static a moment later, “Yeah, and I think we might need a hand.” She whisper shouted, “The base is HOT.”

 

“Go.” Barney nodded at her, “I can get the three of us to the rendezvous point.”

 

“What is you're enhancement.” She asked the girl, who disappeared right in front of her then reappeared, the boy showed her sharp teeth and wings. “Lovely, a chameleon and another vampire. You two hurt Barney over here and I will show you your worst fears.” With that she kicked off the tower floor, and flung herself into the opening.

 

-/-

 

**STARK TOWER**

**NEW YORK, NEW YORK**

 

“So I got a package.” Tony dropped it on the table. “Then I got a lot more.” He waved his arm at the stack of boxes behind him. “And I think we got a location locked down for one of Barnes’ books.” 

 

Steve raised an eyebrow. The tower was quiet, with only him, Tony, and Bruce living in it full time. “Clint and Nat had to go ‘visit’ friends.” He sighed, “I haven’t heard from Sam lately, and I’m starting to worry.”

 

Tony sighed, “I noticed something.” Steve looked up at him. “Before Fury took off, and Rhodey went off on this recent surge of missions both men were wearing a titanium bracelet, I couldn’t place where I’d seen it before - until I looked at recent footage of Will, she has one, and Pepper had one.”

 

“You think they were recruited?” Steve asked, “But by who?”

 

“No clue. Good money would be on Fury, but he has no backing for them. Unless we missed something big about him. I mean other than being a spy, he didn’t really seem like he was sitting on millions to fund all that he would need to keep at least five mercenaries paid for AND clothed, not to mention fed.”

 

“We might be missing pieces of the puzzle. What did Bucky and Will send this time?” Steve asked.

 

“It looked mostly like information. Until Jarvis and I started going over the video feed.” Tony offered. “There are definitely other people, other fighters we don’t see.” He motioned at the screen, and Steve dropped into a seat.

 

_ “Well, Bucky, you really are a shit - getting Red to call me like that. I thought something bad had happened.” Will glared at the camera. “Tony, Steve, Avengers at large, we miss you. Seriously, the time has almost come for our reunion. Tonight we took out another live HYDRA base, we have intelligence on a new HYDRA mission - one ran by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. At current he is the new head of HYDRA. There are a lot of dead bodies around me tonight.” As the image spanned around there were in fact countless numbers of dismembered and broken bodies. “If you are there, Clint, Barney is doing fantastic, he’s my wing man -sort of. I have one of those. Steve, I love you. We love you, I’m sorry we’ve been cloak and daggers lately, but what can I say? Our intel comes from a man whose secrets have secrets.” _

 

“Fury.” Steve hissed. “She’s working for Fury.”

 

“That’s what I thought too, but Fury is as removed from the world as they are. In fact, I contacted the places Pepper has been sending me images from - she’s not in France, everywhere she supposedly has visited, has recently been toured by this guy.” Tony pointed to the projected image. “Everett Ross, we dislike his older brother Thaddeus Ross.” Tony explained, “Secretary of Defense.”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Steve sighed. “So, who are the players, Tony?”

 

“Honestly” Tony sighed. “I think we know all of them. Obviously Will is the commander of their unit. So her and Bucky are a given. Pepper, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis and Sam Wilson all disappeared around the same time, so they could be players. Maria Hill and Rhodey are part of it, but I don’t know how. Barney is obviously with them, although we have not seen any footage of him. We can assume, safely at this point, that Fury is involved.” 

 

Steve looked at Tony. “You said how many Iron Maiden suits were stolen?”

 

“Five if you count Will’s - which we no longer can, because it’s dismembered.” He pointed to one of the boxes. “She went up against something volatile enough to rip the armor off her.” He sighed. “So that would leave four suits, and the new FALCON wings I had designed, carbon fiber and lightweight.”

 

“Wings are obviously with Sam.” Steve sighed. “What about the suits?”

 

“An Iron Maiden suit to match mine, for Pepper. One similar to WarMachines, then a violet one for space travel, and a blue one for water travel. All the same suits I have of my own.” Tony explained. “Although, I don’t know how Jane Foster or Darcy Lewis factor in. And while I am at it, I read over all of Sam’s military file, he and his pararescuers went through some heavy experimentation before being sent overseas.”

 

Banner gave him a look. “Please don’t say off my notes.”

 

“Sorry, Bruce, off you're notes.” 

 

“So Sam might be enhanced, but not to the level I am? Or Bucky? Or Will?” Steve looked thoughtful. “Let’s say Maria is alive, she is obviously in the silver Iron Maiden suit. Pepper would be in the red Iron Maiden suit. Darcy and Jane could easily be piloting the other two suits. Assuming both Barney and Sam are active members - it would explain the arrows at the last three sights, and the whispers of the surviving HYDRA agents of two vampires.” Steve sighed, “It doesn’t explain how Fury factors in, OR how Ross does.”

 

“If Fury brought them together, Ross and Fury could be their intel.” Banner suggested, he had been largely quiet while they watched and talked. “I mean, even you said Will could command a unit better than most men. If I were a betting man, I’d bet that Fury and Will reached some sort of agreement or impasse. Maybe overseas, I mean Fury after SHIELD fell was looking at taking out HYDRA - with Maria’s help. Bucky and Will were determined to end HYDRA too. Their paths might have crossed, a team up in that sense makes sense.”

 

Steve nodded, looking between Banner and Tony. “If they met on the battlefield, it should be somewhere in the footage.”

 

“I mined it.” Tony grumbled, “Rather, Jarvis did. There was a change in their appearance - they were cleaner, well fed, less hollow eyed, and gaining muscle back, after you intercepted them in Romania.”

 

“So, with heat on them in Romania they came back to America.” Banner hummed. “The next several bases they hit were in America.” 

 

“They met Fury in an American base.” Steve sunk down on the couch next to Banner and sighed. “There is still something off about this.”

 

“It’s about to get weirder.” Tony hit play.

 

_ The frame had changed, with Will locking arms with someone, someone that the Avengers hadn’t wanted to see again for a long time. Loki from Asgard. He had his arm around Will, his face bent down and whispering something into her ear, as they circled out of the base, and headed for what looked like an ancient Quinjet. Four females wearing suits boarded the jet, followed by a man with a wing pack and hoody up and over his face. “Hey Steve, I almost forgot, this is our second to last base for a while.” Her hands moved to pull the collar off Bucky, he wormed passed her on the camera, four children were tangled together asleep under the watchful eyes of Barney Barton. “Ready to fly me home, Barney?” The man gave her a mock salute, then the frame went black. _

 

“Who are those children?” Steve grumbled.

 

“I have no clue. Jarvis doesn’t know either.” Tony frowned. “But I believe the information is in those boxes.”

 

“So, let’s get to work.” Banner suggested. “I think it's safe to assemble Nat and Clint for this, send the text, Cap.”

 

Steve pulled his phone out and looked down at it, to his amazement there was a text message from an unknown number.

 

┃Text from Unknown: Hey, Cap. :) See you soon.

 

He brushed the thought from his mind that it might actually be Will. And focused on texting both Clint and Nat.

 

┃Text to Avengers Group: Assemble - Stark Tower

┃Text from Clint: Pkg from B2?

┃Text to Avengers Group: Yes, with confirmation of Barney.

┃Text from NinjaNat: On our way, ETA 15 mins

┃Text to Avengers Group: See you then.

 

Steve tucked his phone back in his pocket and looked at Tony. “How many people did they kill at that base.”

 

“That’s the thing.” Tony sighed, “Jarvis, fatality report.”

 

“Only one fatality - Doctor List. His folder has been generated for you're viewing. According to what has been uploaded, he was a rather nasty scientist. Also the base was largely abandoned. The fifteen HYDRA officials alive were picked up by Interpol, led by a friend of ours in MI6. I believe, Sirs, that Fury’s connections are mapping out a new branch of SHIELD.”

 

-/-

 

**SOMEWHERE IN ALASKA**

**STRIKE FORCE DELTA**

 

“This is the last base. Other than the one in Baja.” Barney smiled as he looked around the jet. Missions had become more fun, with kids along. “And you said that one was part of our big reveal.”

 

Jakob was nine, and a fun little vampire for the most part. He had fun chasing Anya and Luka, with their super powered noses. Bucky often hid things throughout the base they called home or even on the KGB Jet for them to find. Iskra the little girl who could literally vanish, was thirteen. She prefered to spend her time with Darcy, who was admittedly the youngest actual member of their team.

 

“This is a mining only exposition.” Bucky started from the pilot seat, Sam was beside him, their hands easily intertwined, with Will in Sam’s lap. It was unspoken and largely ignored whatever was going on between the trio, but it was obvious it ran deep throughout them.

 

“Just loading up on intel and sending it back to Howie Junior.” Will agreed. “Loki, darling, how are we on time.”

 

“Right on time, Shieldmaiden of death.” It was his prefered nickname for her, she snorted with laughter.

 

The base was empty, and the files more than easy to pack up. “This was nice.” Jane muttered, still standing in her Iron Maiden suit, with her face guard up. “No one shot at me.”

 

“I could rectify that for you.” Maria teased, and waved her gun in a fun manner at Jane, who stuck her tongue out. Pepper gave them both looks of disdain, and Darcy tried to hide a giggle in her elbow. Barney and Sam had remained on the Jet with the kids, this time. 

 

Will just openly laughed, “Alright, loves, load up.” 

 

Before they even made it out of the base, her titanium bracelet lit up, and Fury’s voice shouted through it. “WE ARE COMPROMISED - I AM IN THE WIND AT THE MOMENT, WAITING FOR EXTRACTION.” 

 

Will hurried them all up and into the Jet, before drawing out her phone. “Where are you and Ross?” The pair had both been at the base when they’d taken off the previous night. 

 

“We are currently flying, Ross put on some old tech we rounded up. Listen, HYDRA just swarmed our base. Tell Barney to meet me in where the cows go to paster.” Nick’s voice broke and the rest of whatever he was about to tell her was a jumbled mess.

 

“I copy that.” Barney closed the ramp and started pushing buttons. “Can I give you some coordinates?” He looked at Bucky, “If we go here you have to promise to never ever tell anyone that it exist.”

 

“Ok.” Will promised, and looked around at the others. “Was there anything at the base that would point HYDRA to any of us?”

 

It took a few minutes before everyone could rustle up their travel bags, they discovered everyone had their license and passports, as well as bank cards. “Just a handful of love letters.” Pepper said after a moment, “Things I was writing to Tony, but I never signed them or wrote who they were too directly, you trained us better than that.”

 

-/-

 

The cordance led to a farm. “Where are we?” Iskra asked as she tugged on Loki’s arm.

 

“I don’t know,  princess.” Loki offered, concerned. 

 

Will took her spot beside him, with Luka on her hip,  Anya was holding tight to Jakob’s hand. “Barney where the hell are we?”

 

“This is my house, my wife Laura lives here, with our kids. We’ve got Cooper, Lila, and little Nathaniel.” Barney explained, “Fury kept my family off the books, for me and Clint. No one in SHIELD or HYDRA knew about them, or knows about them. This is literally the safest place for us, as long as Laura isn’t too mad at me.”

 

He motioned for them to hide the Jet, which they did their best to do under several willow trees, then they followed him down a grassy knoll. When they reached the front door the sun was just starting to rise behind them. Barney knocked on the door, softly.

 

The woman who opened it had long brown hair and a soft smile, her eyes held a natural twinkle. “You're alive? Clint was pretty sure you were, but he mentioned you were running around with some….” Her eyes widened as she took in the group behind him. “Lord have mercy, you're a bunch of sanctioned killers. I should have known.” She opened the door more, to reveal Nick Fury sitting at the kitchen table, clutching his side. “Nick got here about three hours ago and refused to let me treat him.”

 

“Loki.” He muttered.

 

Loki dropped Iskra’s hand, “I’ll be right back.” He promised her, as he strode forward, and placed a hand on Fury’s wound, the skin under it mending together almost perfectly. “All better.”

 

“What happened?” Laura asked, softly.

 

“Come, I’ll tell you. You guys make yourselves at home the best you can, once the kids are up, we can square the whole squad away in the top of the barn, it’s converted into a barracks.” Barney sighed, just as a golden dog appeared, “Hey Lucky, I missed you too, Clint will visit soon. I’m sure.”

 

-/-

 

They settled in over the next week.With no missions to worry about it was nice to see the four super kids get to be regular kids with Cooper and Lila. They played daily, and even Laura seemed inclined to let them do what they wanted. Barney lived in the house, Maria and Pepper shared a room in the main house, as did Jane and Darcy. Loki had took the attic, and Nick had disappeared easily enough into the twilight the night after Loki had healed him. So that left Sam, Bucky and Will with the top of the barn.

 

It suited them just fine, it had a working bathroom and kitchen, and teh two super soldiers didn’t feel like they were constantly in Laura’s way. Sam managed to call his mom on their eight day at the farm, and put the majority of her fears at rest. She chastised him for not letting her meet his superhero boyfriends AND girlfriend. It ended with Sam promising that when things slowed down he’d bring Steve, Bucky and Will out to see her. 

 

It also gave the three of them the chance to talk about soulmarks, which had been a shelved subject from the day Bucky and Will had stumbled onto Fury almost a year prior. “So, tell me about the mark.” Sam said just as the sun was setting on their second week at the farm.

 

“It just means you're meant to be together.” Bucky grumbled from where he was attempting to make spaghetti with Will. Normally Sam cooked, most of the food preparing instruments of the 21st century irritated the almost 100 year olds. 

 

Wil rolled her eyes, “It means you're destined to be together because you're hearts and souls line up perfectly, Bucky this is worse than when you stuttered through explaining them to me, ages ago.”

 

“Well it hasn’t been that long ago.” Bucky tried, “I don’t remember it all like you you know.” He wagged a wooden spoon with Ragu sauce on it at her. She blew a raspberry in his direction. “I’m better now than I was when we all first started this.” He looked over at Sam, pointedly, “I’m not against you touching me anymore.”

 

So, Sam, stood and walked to him, and gently wrapped one arm around his waist, wrapped the other around Will’s and drew them into a tight hug. “If only we could make you a super soldier too.” She whispered into Sam’s neck, “Then you’d never age like us.” She kissed his cheek.

 

“About that.” Sam looked at his feet. “Before, when I told you guys about Riley that wasn’t the whole truth. The reasons we were given teh FALCON suits was because we had withstood genetic testing.” He paused, “I don’t know what worked on me but didn’t work on Riley, the only reason he was in the air was because I’d fallen the day before from almost a hundred feet up, and only managed to bruise my pride.”

 

“Well, I need your service files, maybe you're enhanced after all. Or you could be one of those mutant things.” She giggled at the face he pulled. “Nah, that Xavier dude would have picked you up long before the military.”

 

“For now we do next to nothing about it.” Bucky agreed, then nuzzled the side of Sam’s face, inhaling lungs full of his scent. “You smell nice, Sam, like… chocolate and rain.” Then he went back to stirring the spaghetti sauce as Sam flushed and Will snorted with laughter. 

 

-/-

 

**BAJA**

**CALIFORNIA**

**AVENGERS**

 

“Why is it so hottttt?” Natasha whined into her headset. 

 

“We are in California, we’ve had missions in hotter places.” Banner shot back at her across the headset.

 

“Focus.” Steve ordered. “We are here to find one thing - the redbook.” 

 

They moved through the abandoned base, it had been at first a weather watching station, then it had housed SHIELD, with the fall of SHIELD, Tony had discovered that it was actually HYDRA operating out of the weather-house, and had largely ignored it assuming that the Barnes duo would take it out, but they’d gone mostly silent after Barney Barton had resurfaced.

 

“Ok, corridor to the left - Clint you and Thor take it. Tony, you and Nat go right, Banner with me, straight ahead!” Steve ordered the team, as the long dark corridor they’d been following broke into three separate hallways. “Remember,” He called out, “We don’t know if it's hot or not.”

 

“Oh it’s hot.” Nat deadpanned.

 

Tony just rolled his eyes, “What are we looking for right now? The handler book?” He asked over the coms.

 

“According to what Jarvis found, Pierce had the last book hidden when Fury died, he had most of the orders in Russian memorized.” Banner sounded. “Moreover, this was a base that neither of our Barnes assassins felt the need to come to, makes me wonder why?”

 

“Because someone already cleared it.” Steve sighed as his eyes swept over what should have been the command room for the whole base. All the tech had been destroyed, save the blinking of the camera. “Everyone on my location - Tony and Nat see what you can figure out from the dead tech.”

 

Thor and Clint made it to him first, eyeing the room ruefully. “That symbol on the wall.” Clint pointed to something painted gold that Steve hadn’t noticed at first, “It’s been on every base since you guys almost caught up with them in Romania. What does it mean?”

 

“Howling Commandos wore it as their war patch.” Steve whispered, as he stepped forward and touched a gloved hand to it, when he pulled back he found the paint to still be wet, “This is recent.”

 

“There was an idea, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. To fight the battles that we never could.” Nick Fury emerged from the shadows, “What you don’t know is that was phase one. Phase two, and if Tony did the readings, he knows this, Phase two was something called Strike Force Delta. A team of remarkable people in their own right, with a very unusual set of skill. Their focus was to handle the small things, so the Avengers could handle the big things, together they would protect earth, or damn well die trying to Avenge it.”

 

“Are you here right now for a reason?” Tony asked, as his face shield moved to reveal his face.

 

Fury smiled at them and held up the redbook. “I am, I believe we were looking for the same thing, thing is, I won’t be letting you have it.” He smiled at them all. “I’m rooting for you, kids, really I am. Ready when you are, ladies!” 

 

Tony glowered as three of his suits dipped into view, each moving around Fury with careful ease, before disappearing completely, as they all darted across the room to look up, all they saw was a Soviet Red Star painted to the bottom of a KGBJet. Will gave them a cheshire smile, and a wink, as the Jet promptly disappeared.

 

“I feel like we’ve been tricked.” Banner muttered.

 

“That was for show, yes?” Thor asked, carefully. 

 

“Probably.” Tony muttered. 

 

Steve let out a frustrated noise and punched the wall so hard beside him it cracked. “I hate games like this.” Nat snorted, “What?”

 

“Remember when I asked you if you wanted to play a game?” Nat asked, very serious, “It was when we found computer brain Zola.”

 

“I remember.” Steve huffed.

 

“I think all of this, ALL OF IT, was Fury. He’s been playing a game since the word go, and this little show, was once again his way of putting us in checkmate.” Nat declared. “He has all the answers, and he knows both sides of the story.”

 

Clint sighed, “I need a vacation.”

 

“Looks like for now we are all on vacation.” Steve frowned. 


End file.
